


Restoring Harmony

by woodomatsu



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/M, Fix-It, Gen, Slow Burn, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2019-06-09 11:33:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 53,083
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15266607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/woodomatsu/pseuds/woodomatsu
Summary: Kaede Akamatsu is the Ultimate Pianist, sentenced to death for a crime she didn't commit, in the name of a brutally cruel killing game where murder was the only chance of escape. Dead by all accounts, Kaede did the unthinkable: she survived.





	1. Harmonious Student

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! First of all, thank you for showing an interest in this fanfic! I hope you enjoy what you read! Just a few points before we get started:
> 
> -This fanfiction will assume you have finished Danganronpa V3 and have prior knowledge of other games in the series.
> 
> -It's Headcanon, and a fix-it of sorts. I didn't like V3's story but I adored its characters. Unfortunately I feel like the game didn't always want to do them justice, or in some cases outright grossly misused them. Such is the case with Kaede, whom is the focal point of this fic and perhaps the most screwed over character in video game history. Time to do her some justice, eh? 
> 
> -Following on from the last point (and it should become obvious pretty much immediately) the fic is initially set during, but mostly half a year after the events of V3. This is basically my version of events post-V3.
> 
> Anyway that's all. If you're still here, I really hope you enjoy this ongoing project of mine! If you do, kudos, comments and constructive criticism are always appreciated!

"Alright, class trial is over folks. That's a wrap!"

There was about twenty staff members crammed into the monitor room, along with myself. Most of them must've been working here for a while, as they were completely unfazed by what I had just witnessed. As everyone left cheering and applauding one another, I simply stood there staring at a now blank video feed. I was shaking, completely frozen to the spot. I'd actually never watched the show before, and I'd just witnessed my first execution. It was...horrifying. Apparently, this was the 53rd season. How?! I didn't even know shows could run that long! 

Then my mind went to the worst place it could possibly go. I thought of how many more had been sentenced to death by this show, and my stomach lurched. Unsurprisingly, my lunch decided that nope, it wasn't staying down after that mortifying display. I clasped my mouth with one hand as my mouth filled with bile, and I sprinted for the nearest bathroom.

A good half hour later I was still dry heaving into a toilet. Crying and trembling, all I wanted to do was leave. But as I was bound by contract to this place, I couldn't.

My name is Asuka Sawamura, and I'm an intern for Team Danganronpa. It was my first week on the job; I started alongside the 53rd season of the killing game. As an intern I didn't have one set role at the company, rather I assisted in a number of things. Social media, advertising and promos, but mostly it was running around to get coffee for everyone else and cleaning up their mess. It may not surprise you to find out that each and every person working for this company was a complete sociopath. I'm only here because I needed the money and my friend dared me to. To be honest it was better than actually being in the killing game, that much I will admit. But being so close, yet so out of sight of the participants was undoubtedly eerie.

I washed my face and composed myself in front of the mirror. I tied my hair back into a ponytail, adjusting my Team Danganronpa branded hoodie. I took a deep breath and left the bathroom, where I was quickly accosted by another member of staff.

"Hey, Asuka!" the loud man bellowed. "You're new around here, right?"

"Uh...yeah. It's my first week." I meekly replied.

"How about that execution, huh?! The production team really outdid themselves on that one! Y'know, I was thinking of submitting my own execution ideas to the higher-ups, but after that I don't think my ideas would stand a chance! Hahaha...oh man. Poor Kaede, huh? Set up right from the start."

"Huh? Set up? What do you--"

"Oh...I probably shouldn't have said that. Don't tell anyone I said that, okay?"

"Sure..." I wanted to die. I wanted to die. I wanted to fucking die right now. How can anywhere this hideous truly exist?!

"Whew, thanks! My name's Keisuke, by the way. Keisuke Sasaki. Hey, as a treat for keeping that a secret, wanna see something cool?" the man wore a disturbed smirk.

"W-what?"

"What do you think happens to the bodies after the students are killed off?"

"I would guess...they're disposed of?"

"Correctamundo! And wouldn't you know it, that's my job! I've been here for 6 years, and man am I NOT looking forward to having to clean up that mess. So that's why I want you to help!"

"H-help?! You mean...with...Kaede?"

"Yeah! Normally I do cleanup on my own but I get the feeling I'll need an extra pair of hands for this one. How about it?"

I was now visibly shaking and pale. Like hell I wanted to see Kaede's body! Or...whatever was left of it. I think the shock alone would kill me. I tried to refuse him and get back to what I was supposed to be doing.

"I-I don't think that's--"

"Don't worry, with the two of us it won't take very long, I'm sure!"

"--in my job...description..."

Keisuke had already creepily wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and was guiding me down the corridor. In the opposite direction I was meant to be heading. I didn't resist. I couldn't. As much as I hated this place, the money was good and I really didn't wanna cause a scene. I braced myself for what was about to come.

"Y'know these kids aren't really Ultimates, right?"

"I...read that in the briefing, yes."

"It's really not that big of a secret. Most of our viewers can separate the facts from fiction. That's one reason why the killing games have become so palatable. They don't think these kids really die."

"Wait...what do you mean 'they don't think...?'"

Keisuke wore an even more chilling smile than before. I was beyond scared. This had to have been the most detestable man I've ever met in my life. Much to my discomfort, he continued talking...

"Before they're entered into the killing game, these kids are just completely worthless to society. In fact, many of them have behavioural problems. Like sweet, innocent Kaede. Wanna know what she was like in her previous life? Well, previous previous life?"

I didn't answer. Like I was gonna indulge this sicko any more than I had to. I couldn't even bear the fact that Kaede was anything but nice. If they had any idea what this company was doing to them with those flashback lights...

"Those flashback lights are super revolutionary you know." The man continued, almost as if he was reading my mind. "We completely erase who the person was, and actually give them purpose in life. Of course they have to earn that purpose, though. But nobody willingly signs up to this show knowing they're going to die. They think they're being given a life changing talent, which they are. They think they'll stick around for a case or two, get bumped off, and then be released back into the public to make of their life what they will."

Now this, I had no idea about. I had never watched Danganronpa before, but even I thought the victims and the blackened would just be released once their case was done. It's why I never paid it much thought. It was just a very creepy reality show with a morbid sense of humour. Or...so I once thought.

"Oops, there I go running my mouth again," Keisuke chuckled, "at this rate, I may have to kill you just to keep you quiet!"

My eyes widened in fear. Suddenly, his head eerily rotated to meet my gaze, in an almost robotic fashion.

"That was a joke, Asuka. We take care of our own. You're completely, 100% safe with me."

That was it. Seriously, fuck this guy. I wasn't going to take this any longer. No contract this foul is worth retaining. I would see out the end of the day, and I wasn't coming back. I just had to see this through. This uniquely horrifying task that lay before me.

Not long after, we'd arrived at the execution site. Everything was just as it had been left. Seeing it in person, though, was truly terrifying. The large piano upon which Kaede had been killed was the size of a house. Her blood was still dripping down from the rim of the piano lid. Keisuke pressed a button on a hidden console nearby, and the lid began retracting. I was expecting to see the worst; bits of Kaede's body strewn all over the place, sticking into the spikes and thorns that destroyed her corpse. However, it mercifully wasn't as macabre as that.

"Huh. This might be easier than I thought," Keisuke smiled eerily again. He rolled out a moveable ladder and placed it next to the large piano, allowing us to climb up. "I'll let you go up first. You can give me a rundown of the damage."

I stared blankly at him. Was he really asking me to do this?! Was I really going to do it?! Something told me I wasn't leaving until this was over, so I reluctantly began climbing the ladder. With each footstep up the ladder, my heart pounded something fierce in my chest, like it was trying to break free from my ribcage. To be honest, I would welcome it. I really didn't want to see her corpse. Kaede was so pure and sweet. To think she was actually dead...waiting to be "collected" and disposed of...I began feeling sick again. Then, as I reached the top of the ladder, I saw her.

To my surprise, her body was more intact than I'd imagined. She wasn't completely unscathed, though. She lay there, unmoving, in a pool of her own blood. Obviously. The noose that had been clamped around her neck was still there, but the rope had of course been snapped and the clamp had broken. Despite her countless wounds, she looked almost peaceful. Like she was just sleeping.

"How's she looking, Asuka?" Keisuke shouted up at me.

"I--just let me get a closer look!"

I nervously walked closer to Kaede. I forgot the floor here was literally a set of giant piano keys. They dipped slightly with each footstep. I carefully walked across so as to not lose my balance. I was now inches away from Kaede's body. Nervously, I bent down to inspect her. She had bruises and cuts all over. I gasped out loud when I noticed she was missing an arm. The panic began setting in. I didn't want to see this. I didn't want to be here. But then, a thought occurred to me. She should have been completely erased when the piano lid dropped on her.

Upon closer inspection of the thorns and spikes inside the piano lid, there was shockingly little blood on them. And around the large pools of blood that formed on the rim of the lid...burst blood packs?! I then snapped back to reality. The smaller amount of blood on the thorns, the blood packs...it didn't really matter. She died from asphyxiation. After that, they were probably just going for shock value. But the thought did make me curious. I had to check something...I bent down and...checked her pulse.

"Uh...hey, what are you doing?" Keisuke shouted again. "She's dead, Asuka. Why are you checking for a pulse?"

"S-sorry! I'm just...nervous..." I yelled back, startled. I forgot he was watching me.

I was about to take my fingers off of her neck, convinced she was indeed dead. But then it happened. A single throb in her veins. The feeling simultaneously chilled me to the bone, and made me feel intensely warm. Somehow, and just barely...she was alive. I had to think fast. I had to get this guy off my case, first of all.

"S-so...there's actually not that much mess!" I yelled down.

"Huh?! You're joking right? It must be my lucky day!" the loudly cackled. "I thought I was gonna be here for HOURS!"

"I-if you want...I can take care of this myself! I'm the intern, after all!" There was surely no way this would work. But it was my only option.

"Wait. You'd do that for me? But...we only just met!"

"Don't get the wrong idea!" Ugh, this guy... "I just figured...if I'm going to cut it at this place...I shouldn't be afraid to get my hands dirty, right?"

"Heh. I like your attitude! Alright. I'll sit outside. Let me know when you're done, okay? Oh, and there should be a loading bay down the hall from here. Just leave the body there and come meet me, kay?"

W-what?! He fell for it. He actually fell for that?! As he left the room, I was in complete bafflement. But I couldn't waste time. I had to save this girl. I lifted her from the floor and held her in my arms. I got a good look at her face. She really did look like she was just sleeping. The life hadn't been completely drained from her. But it would do if I left her like this any longer. I had to do what I could to save her.

I carefully climbed down the ladder with Kaede over my shoulder. My god, she was heavy! I picked up a brisk pace and made my way to the loading bay. I was hoping to spot an infirmary on the way, but had no such luck. Inside the loading bay were several empty body bags lined up on a shelf. There was also a truck and a shutter in front of it. Looking at a map plastered to the wall, the shutter looked like it led to a tunnel to the outside.

I placed Kaede into a bodybag, but leaving it unzipped a little so her oxygen wasn't cut off. I loaded her into the back of the truck, where there was enough space for me to work. Ducking outside the loading bay door, I noticed a bathroom on the other side of the corridor. I sprinted inside, and thankfully, two first aid kits were hanging from the wall. It wasn't exactly a fully staffed infirmary, but this would have to do. I ripped the first aid kits from the wall and ran back to Kaede's side.

I must have used everything available to me from those kits. I bandaged as many wounds as I could, and stopped the bleeding from her missing left arm, wrapping it tightly in a brace. Her heart was beating more regularly, but I had no idea when she would wake up. I couldn't stay here with her forever, as much as I wanted to. I had to go back and meet with that idiot. But it turned out I wasn't gonna be the one meeting him...

"Asuka what is taking you so lo--"

I spun around. At the door to the loading bay was...Keisuke! He had a confused look on his face as he saw me operating on Kaede. I was frozen stiff. What...was he going to do to me?

"Oh. Ohhhh. I see what's happening now...you'd think I would've noticed sooner." He held his head in his hands, cackling softly to himself. "Stupid...IDIOT! How could I have been so dense..."

"She's alive, dammit!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face. "Just let her go! She doesn't deserve any of this!"

"Asuka...precious little Asuka. Why are you so caring for someone you don't even know? Let alone a murderer."

Yeah...Kaede had murdered someone. That's why she was here.

"M-maybe she deserves to pay for her crimes. But not like THAT! How can you be so cold?!"

"Heh. Six years of working body disposal will do that to you, I guess. Imagine if you had to clean up the mess after EACH and EVERY execution. Do you even realise how pathetic of an existence that is? DO YOU?! To even consider being able to live with myself...do you know how far I had to remove myself from being a human being? I had to teach myself to lack compassion. To be so completely void of caring. That's how I live my life, and now you MOCK me because of it!"

"I'm not mocking you! If you feel so strongly about it, why don't you just let her live?!"

"Did you not hear me? I don't care for her. And to be honest, I don't much care for you. You snivelling little shit. You fucking worthless intern. INTERN! Hey, you wanna know another secret?"

I didn't respond. I really didn't care for what he had to say. This guy was true scum.

"You're not the first intern we've had. In fact, we get a lot. Some of them are great, upstanding employees who go on to achieve positions of great worth at the company. Then there's others who aren't so obedient. Like you. Like a rabid dog. You know what we do with those?"

Again I didn't say anything.

"We make them participate in the killing game!! How fucking genius is that?!"

My eyes widened in fear. I didn't want to be on this show! I didn't want anything to do with this place! And now...I was completely powerless...this was it. This was the end. I would never see the light of day again. Whenever the next killing game would be, I would be featured as a participant. It was over. But even still, I smiled.

"Why...are you smiling like that? Your life is over. You'll be on the next killing game. And you'll die."

"Maybe so...but at least I've saved someone else's life."

Keisuke laughed obnoxiously. "You really think so? Once I've dealt with you, I'm coming back for her. I may just be body disposal...but that comes with somewhat of a reputation. I'm good at tying up loose ends. You'll be going away for a while, and Kaede will die anyway. Your efforts will have been for nothing. Nothing at all."

Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my arm. Keisuke had pulled a gun swiftly out of his pocket, and shot something directly into my bloodstream. I could feel myself slowly fading, losing consciousness. In my last moments, I turned to Kaede, who was still unconscious.

"K-kaede...I'm sorry...if you can hear me...get out...get out a-and--"

I collapsed, and my vision faded. This life was about to end, and I would awaken a new person. In the 54th killing game. For a few moments, my old life flashed before my eyes. My parents...my girlfriend...my sisters...all the friends I'd made in my life...everything would surely fade from memory. And then, I was gone...


	2. Despair Facility

A piercing screech filled my ears. My body began stirring, and I opened my eyes, slowly. My head was throbbing, and I ached all over. More than an ache, actually. The more conscious I became, the sharper the pain bored its way into me. I groaned in agony as I tried to move. Despite my best efforts, my movements were oddly restricted. It was then that I noticed I'd been constrained. 

As I focused my eyesight downwards, I saw I was in some kind of...bag? Then, the memories came flooding back, and I gasped as I experienced them; each and every one in great detail. The friends I'd just made. The murder I had committed. The torturous execution I had to endure as a result. These memories...they only served to exacerbate the pain. They made me shiver all over...made me feel sick to my stomach. I didn't deserve to live after what I did, and by anyone's rational logic I definitely should've been killed. So...why was I alive?

Deep breaths. At every piano concert where I performed, I had a routine of taking ten deep breaths just before I went on stage. There was no audience waiting for me now, though. Regardless, I thought it best to stick to the routine to calm my nerves. In truth, I could barely do any kind of activity without feeling some form of anxiety. Putting on a facade of confidence was my way of coping, but...that's all it was. A mask. A lie that would often get me into trouble, or make me do some insanely stupid things. Case in point, the grisly murder I just committed.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Kaede Akamatsu, and I was a participant in a killing game. I should be dead right now. Having been sentenced to a macabre execution for murdering one of my classmates, Rantaro Amami, I shouldn't be anything but a corpse. Hanging lifeless from the noose that bound me. I mean, that's how it goes right? I was supposed to be dead. Then again, I remember reading once that in some cases, people have survived hangings. Those cases are naturally extremely rare, though. I was...one of the lucky ones, I guess.

I pondered on the nature of my whereabouts. I really hadn't a clue. I was certain I wouldn't find out stuck here, though. I slowly raised my arm to unzip my confinement. It was only the one arm I had any feeling in, but then again, most of my body felt extremely numb. Spectral, almost. I sat up, taking in my surroundings. My legs dangled limply off the side of whatever kind of container I was in. This place looked like some kind of storage area. More specifically...I think this was a shipping container  _inside_ a storage area.

I tried climbing to my feet, but I severely overestimated how much energy I had. I immediately felt nauseous. My knees gave in, and I slipped and fell out of the shipping container. I braced myself for the impact by throwing my head into the crook of my arm, but my head still managed to violently connect with the concrete floor below. I hit the ground with a dull thud.

"AAAGH!!"

I cried in agony, reluctant to try getting up again. Instead I laid on the ground, breathing shakily through gritted teeth. Just like when I had the noose tied around my neck, I felt like I had no control over my body. It was as if I was being manipulated like a puppet on strings. This numb, yet hideously painful feeling...I could never get used to this. I rested on my knees for a few minutes, catching my breath and trying to calm my erratic nerves. Then slowly, I raised one leg, and planted my foot firmly on the floor. Shaking, I raised my body, and carefully stood. Worried I was about to fall over again, I instinctively grasped the edge of the container for support with my good arm. The feeling still hadn't returned in the other. It still...hadn't returned. How long had it been since I woke up? Oh, no...

A coarse chill ran through my veins. In my panic to understand my situation, I hadn't even taken the time to look at my body...to see the extent of the damage. Holding back tears, and breathing irregularly, I slowly lowered my head. But nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to see.

My skin was almost completely covered in bandages, from my legs all the way up to my neck. Worse still, my left arm...wasn't there anymore. My mental state fell into a tailspin, and my eyesight began to dim. My heart rate skyrocketed, as I slumped back down to a seated position. With my remaining arm, I held my knees close to my chest, and buried my head into them.

"What am I going to do..." I cried. My situation was completely helpless. I was trapped in a place for which I had no point of reference. I was injured seemingly beyond recovery. Worst of all, my left arm had been torn from its socket.  _You'll never leave this place..._ I thought to myself. Worse still, I was starting to believe that.

 

_Your friends are going to die._

_Your efforts were for nothing._

_Ah, well. You never amounted to anything, anyway._

_And now, you've lost the one thing you were good at._

_Think you can still be a pianist with one arm?_

_You're done. Throw in the towel, Kaede._

_Your livelihood and your life are over._

* * *

 

I was a husk, slumped on the cold floor of this silent, sparse storage room. Motionless. Expressionless. Thoughtless. This was it. The end. For real this time. I decided that if I could just stop thinking, feeling, breathing...it would all be over soon enough.

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_Kaede..._

For whatever reason, I started hearing the voice of one of my newfound classmates in my head. Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective. And perhaps the only person I'd managed to truly form a bond with.

"Shuichi...what do I do? What would _you_ do?"

_C'mon, Kaede. What do you think I would do if I saw you like this?_

"I'm sorry, Shuichi...I failed. I shouldn't even be alive. I'm a murderer. Even that execution couldn't finish me off. I would be better off dead..."

_No, that's wrong. That doesn't sound like the Kaede I know. What happened to the caring, dauntless Kaede who gave me, gave_  us, _the strength to move forward?_

"It was just a front, Shuichi. I was terrified. I _am_ terrified."

_I believe you. I can imagine this isn't easy for you at all. But, Kaede. What if I told you...I'll be waiting on the other side? Me, and as many of us I can save as possible._

That's right. I still had one hope. I had Shuichi. I was sure the killing game was far from its conclusion, but if anyone could pull through, it was him. My supposed death must be tearing him apart, but if he could make it through, then I had to survive for him. My eyes opened slowly, and I began to stir once more. My heartbeat regulated, and a warm feeling emanated through me.

"S-Shuichi..."

_Hey, looks like that fire is coming back! Don't let me down, Kaede. We have a wish to fulfill, remember? You can do it. I believe in you, so let's end this nightmare together._

"I...I...I have to carry on. I _will_  to carry on. I _will_  keep going! Shuichi, you made a promise to me. I want to reward that promise. I want to see you again!"

In my shouting, I realised that it hurt to even talk. My throat was overbearingly raw. A trickling of blood escaped my mouth and slid solemnly down my chin. I coughed a little, a smattering of blood staining the ground by my feet. 

"Ugh...note to self...don't shout when you're gravely...dying...ugh..."

Gravely dying? Come on, Akamatsu. At least keep your grammar in check. Also, let's not talk about dying, okay? But I couldn't help but be aware of my physical state. No doubt I was running on fumes. I genuinely felt like I could pass away any second. But then, a vibration in my pocket roused me from those morbid thoughts. I pulled out the object; it was a phone. How...did this get here? The caller was unknown, but I had nothing else to lose. I nervously answered.

 

"H-hello? Who is this?"

_"Akamatsu-san?! Oh, thank god you're alive."_

The voice of a young girl answered back, jolting me awake. The relief in her voice was palpable. Just hearing her made my heart skip a beat. I didn't even know who she was, but the mere presence of her voice was strangely comforting.

"Wh-Who is this? What am I doing here?!"

Straining my vocal chords only worsened the pain. I coughed profusely, spitting more blood onto the cold, concrete floor. Why didn't I take my own advice?!

_"Akamatsu-san. I need you to calm down and listen. Please, don't strain yourself. Can you do that?"_

"Y-yes. Sorry. But, please. Kaede is fine."

_"Very well. Okay, Kaede. I don't have much time and neither do you, so I'll make this quick. My name is Asuka Sawamura. Your execution was botched. But you probably know that because you're still breathing. Anyway, I'm the reason you're alive. I wrapped you in those bandages, and hid that phone in your pocket. Interns always carry a spare for emergencies."_

"So you're the one who saved me, then? Th-thank you, sincerely! But wait...what do you mean, intern?"

_"F-forget about that! Listen. They found me trying to save you. I did all I could but you're obviously not all there yet."_

"Heh...if that's not the biggest understatement...where are you, though? Are you okay? Are you in danger? Who are  _they_? Please, tell me where you a--"

_"There's no time for that! I was captured. I'm in a cell, deep in this building. I managed to hide my phone on me, though. But you need to get out. Without being seen. Forget about me, I'm done for. But if you can escape...listen. This killing game isn't what you think. I don't have the time to explain. Maybe you'll find out for yourself. Just...please...don't do anything rash, okay? Compose yourself, and find a way out. And_ do not be seen. _Am I clear?"_

"Y-yeah. I'll try. I'll do it for you!"

_"I have to go. They'll be coming back soon. Take care, Kaede. If we don't speak again...please don't forget about me..."_

*click*

 

Sawamura-san hung up, and the line went dead. This was...so surreal. What did she mean by the killing game not being what I thought it was? Maybe there was more going on here than I could possibly think. I took her advice to heart, and decided not to worry about it for now. I stood firm. I composed myself. I had to be strong! I had to escape. I was only a pianist, but I had to believe in myself! Just as I believed in Shuichi. I had to be strong. Not only for him, but for Sawamura-san, too.

"Come on, Kaede! Don't waste this opportunity! You're here for a  _reason!_  You call yourself an Akamatsu? Then let's start acting like one!"

With my newfound composure, I left the room, and found myself stood in a long corridor. At the end of the hallway, to the right was a lone door. Upon closer inspection, the door bore a shockingly morbid sign: Execution Site #1. KEEP OUT.

I backed away from this door. Despite my overbearing curiosity, I reminded myself there had to be  _nothing_ but bad memories in that room. The last thing I needed was to be reminded of that horrible event. I allowed myself to breathe, holding back tears of frustration. I turned around, pretending that door wasn't even there. I wasn't about to lose hope. The only other doors, besides the room I'd just come from, led to two bathrooms and another unmarked door at the other end of the hallway.

Seeing the bathroom, I'd just realised that my throat was bone dry. I was parched. I didn't have the time for this...what if someone was in there?! No, I decided to take the risk. I walked into the girls' bathroom and right over to the nearest sink. I checked my surroundings, and all the cubicles, just in case. Then, I cupped some water into my hand and drank.  _Ah, sweet relief!_ After a few more sips I felt reinvigorated. Okay, time to get back to--

 

"Hey, you're Akamatsu-chan, right?"

I froze in place, and slowly turned to the origin of the voice. It was a girl, about my age, wearing a hooded jacket with some kind of emblem on the chest.

"U-uhhh..." I'd already been caught?! I was sweating profusely. This was how it was going to end?!

"Man, you went out in style! Guess you're just on your way out, huh? I think you took a wrong turn, though," the girl continued, smiling at me. Not a menacing smile or anything like that. She actually looked kind of excited.

"I-I was just...I didn't die sooo..."

"Hey relax. Nobody dies on this show. Mostly. It's all above board. Um...mostly. Hey can I get a selfie with you? My colleagues are gonna be like, super jealous." Her voice was slurred and monotone.

"W-wait wait wait!" I pleaded. "What do you mean... _on this show?_ This is some kind of game to you?! W-what do you mean  _nobody dies?_ Have you seen the state of me?! The state of Amami-kun?!"

"Hey, hey. Chill. I just wanted--oh my god, what happened to your arm?"

"Never mind that! You just said this was a show?! Like a TV show?! W-what happened to Ran--what happened to Amami-kun?!"

"Huh? Oh, I dunno. I'm literally just saying what the higher-ups tell us to say."

"What? N-no! He was...he died! I  _killed_ him! You can't be serious about any of this, right? How does none of this faze you in the slightest?! L-look at what they did to me! I need serious medical attention! *cough cough cough!!*"

I spat out more blood onto the floor.

"Ohhh...nasty. Want me to call the doctor? We have one on-site...I think."

"N-no, don't call anyone! I was supposed to get out of here unseen! Y-you're not gonna tell anyone I was here, right?"

"Look, hun, my contract is up after this season. I don't wanna start any kind of drama. My lips...are sealed."

"S-sure, whatever. Make it qui--AAUUUUGGHH!!"

The girl didn't even give me a chance to finish what I was saying before leaping to my side, throwing her arm around my abdomen and squeezing tight.

"P-please...it hurts!"

"Woah, you're really beat up, huh?" she slurred, somehow still thinking this was all a joke.

"You saw what just happened to me, right? How is  _this_ meant to be a prank? This isn't for show! Look at my arm! Or lack thereof!" I shouted.

"Oh, yeah. They really gave you the business. _Best_ execution I've seen for _a while_. Here I was thinking this stupid series ran out of ideas." She continued snapping photos casually. What on earth was she talking about?! To be fair, she did give me a lot to think about regarding the killing game. But probing her for answers would probably just hurt my brain.

Finally, and mercifully, she let me go. She showed me the several pictures she'd just taken with her phone. I looked awful in all of them. Not that I was photogenic at the best of times, but if you could see me right now you'd be cutting me some serious slack.

"Hey uhhh...don't tell anyone you saw me here, please?" I pleaded with the girl.

"I already told you, I'm not gonna snitch!" she reaffirmed.

"Th-thank you...hey, do you know a girl named Asuka Sawamura?"

"Oh, the new kid? Yeah. She's nice," the girl smiled. "Nicer than most around here, for sure."

"Wh-where is she?! I need to know!" I pleaded again.

"Woah. She like, your girlfriend?" the slurring girl jibed.

"What? No! I just need to find her. She could be in serious danger!"

"What, for real? Haven't seen her, sorry. Pretty sure she clocked out for the day, though. It's like, past midnight. Yet here I am doing shitty overtime," the girl sighed. "Sorry, have to get back on my shift. Really sorry I couldn't help you more! Sawamura-chan will be around somewhere."

"N-no, it's fine. I'll find her, I'm sure of it."

"Hey you seem alright," the girl reassured me. "If you really don't wanna bump into anyone - and I can't say I blame you given the state you're in - I can send you this file. You got your phone?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." I took the phone out of my pocket and gave her the contact info. Seconds later, she texted a file over to me.

"That's a map of emergency routes in the building, and...here's one for the vent system. Company policy to share these with staff. In case of, y'know, emergencies or something?"

"O-oh! Thank you! This is a big help!" 

"No worries! Later, Akamatsu-chan."

 

The girl finally left the bathroom. I let out a huge sigh of relief. Hopefully she'd stick to her word and not tell anyone I was here. I was beginning to think our conversation was pointless. Well, not necessarily pointless. More-so it was far too casual for the revelations she was throwing at me. But by using the maps she'd sent me, I should be able to stay off the beaten path. Hopefully.

I wasn't leaving without Sawamura-san. How could I repay such kindness by just leaving her to die? I had nothing left to lose, but I now had all the means to find her. She didn't want me to forget about her. I couldn't forget about her. I wouldn't! My renewed vigour made it easier to deal with the pain, and made it easier to walk. It was enough to save her or die trying! Then, once we were out of here, I was going to meet with Shuichi again, and as many of the others as I'd hoped would survive.

I composed myself, and tried breathing more steadily. I was still shaking. To be honest, I was terrified. But I would never make any progress if I stayed in the bathroom, especially after a close call like that. That girl seemed to be implying we were on some kind of TV show, and that it'd been running for a while now. If so, how come I'd never heard of it? A show like _that_ is bound to gain some traction. I really didn't know what to believe right now, so I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind. I had to continue and save Sawamura-san.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a few things to note. I wanted to keep the "this is a gameshow" revelations quite casual. If you're reading this, you've most likely finished V3 and I saw no reason to drag everyone through that exposition again. 
> 
> Also, I think employees at Team DR aren't necessarily kept in the loop about everything that happens during the killing game. Some believe no deaths occur at all, for example. One goal of this fanfic will be to explore what Team DR is like as a company, including the employees that work for it. As you just read, not all of them are heartless cretins (but of course the majority of them are).


	3. Ultimate Intern

**PERSPECTIVE: ASUKA SAWAMURA, ULTIMATE INTERN**

I came to in a musty little jail cell. My hoodie had been stripped from me, and my ponytail had somehow come undone. Other than some mild grogginess, I felt otherwise fine. My surroundings were completely silent, other than the steady dripping of water from the sink in my cell.

I wasn't expecting to regain consciousness again, to be honest. Perhaps Keisuke just wanted to scare me into submission? It's not like my current situation was much better but...I was still myself.

"So this is where they're keeping me, huh..." I whispered in a melancholy tone. "I hope Kaede is okay--oh!"

As my senses reunited, I remembered I'd hid my phone in my sock, just before I started nursing Kaede. I reached down, and felt the glass of the screen pressing against my ankle.

"Oh, thank god. These guys are shockingly amateur..."

I pulled the phone out from my sock, and dialled the number of the spare I'd passed on to Kaede. Miraculously, she answered, and my relief was palpable. She was alive, but in quite a panic, which was understandable given what she's been through. I did my best to calm her down, and explain the situation. From watching her in the killing game, I knew she was rational to a fault...even when facing certain death. We said our goodbyes, and I hung up, tucking the phone back into my sock. I had a feeling she would be okay, and I smiled. After surviving  _that,_ I knew she wasn't gonna go down easily.

I heard footsteps down the hall, briskly approaching my cell. Two figures loomed on the other side of the bars, a man and a young woman. In the pitch darkness, I could barely make them out, but the man's silhouette bore the resemblance of Keisuke. Ugh...I suddenly got the feeling I was never going to be rid of him. The woman? She looked...familiar, but couldn't quite put my finger on who she was. I could just about make the outline of her long, strand-like hair.

"So what do you want me to do with her?" Keisuke asked the woman, his silhouette still facing me.

"Leave her for now. But keep her under surveillance." She spoke coldly, without emotion. "Once the game is over, start the brainwashing process."

"Got it," Keisuke replied, as emotionless as she did. A far cry from his more sinister, animated self from earlier. "But...what about Kaede? If she's alive, she's on the loose somewhere around here."

"Forget her. I won't derail this killing game more than I need to. Security will put her down. And if they don't...it doesn't matter. She doesn't have a life to go back to anyway."

"Fair enough, if you think she isn't a threat. I can't believe they actually voted for her, though," Keisuke chuckled, "that plan had, like, a 1 in 1000 chance of working. I thought Shuichi would at least have the sense to question that, right?"

My eyes widened.

"Wait, what? Are you saying she didn't kill--"

"Hey? Who said you could talk, huh?!" Keisuke spontaneously lunged towards the bars of my cell.

"It's okay, Keisuke. Let her talk," the young woman interrupted. "She won't remember any of this, so it's barely of any consequence to me."

Keisuke stepped back, folding his arms, but not before spitting into my cell. What an obnoxious tool.

"A-About Kaede..." I nervously spoke, "...she didn't actually kill, right?"

"Well, I said I would let you talk..." the woman replied, "...I didn't say I had to indulge you."

Keisuke laughed at her uncaring response. The young woman turned back to him, before walking in the opposite direction.

"I have to get back," she said, "before anyone finds out I'm gone."

"Alright. Take care," Keisuke nodded. "It's a dangerous game, after all. Oh, and try to make sure no one else goes off script, okay?"

I heard the woman's footsteps abruptly stop. "Everything's under control now," she said, before resuming her exit. Keisuke turned back to me, walking up to the bars once more. He peered in so I could get a better look at his annoyingly smug face.

"I'll be in the next room. Eating pizza. Watching everyone's live reactions to Kaede's death," he smirked. "Don't try to escape, okay?"

"She's not even dead, you loser!" I leapt at the bars in front of him. If these bars weren't here, I would've torn this bastard to shreds.

"Oooh, feisty. I like that." Keisuke pulled a strand of hair that was jutting out of my crown, and he pulled hard. "Don't think this cute little ahoge of yours will save you. You're dead, and so is that stuck up little bitch Kaede."

"Let...go of me..." I was furious. That smug asshole was going to steal my life from me, and there was nothing I could do about it. He shoved his palm into my face, and I crashed down to the floor of the cell. He walked off without saying another word.

_Everything's under control,_ that woman had said. Hardly; Kaede was on the loose. I didn't fully grasp what their conversation just now was all about - I was still slightly dazed - but to spectacularly fail in getting rid of her...that wasn't what I'd call  _under control._

Up until this point I was dealing with a mix of emotions, none particularly positive. Anger, frustration, fear, anxiety, sadness. Each as prevalent as the others, fighting each other for dominance. It made me feel sick. Now that I had some quiet, I had me all to myself. All those emotions were all I could focus on, and they steadily reached a peak. I began choking up, hot tears streaked down my face, a pit of despair formed in my stomach. I couldn't hold it back any longer. I screamed at the top of my lungs, and collapsed on all fours.

"DAMN IT, DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!!" I screamed until my throat was raw. I punched the ground until my knuckles bled. Why the hell did I get involved with this sick company? Why did I think this was a good idea? I curled up in the corner of the cell, quietly sobbing with my head sunk behind my legs. What a miserable way for my life to end...

*vvvp* *vvvp*

"Huh?"

I roused from my stupor. My phone had just vibrated...why? I rushed over to the bars to make sure no one was around, then scurried back to the corner, pulling the phone once again from my sock. It was a text. From...Kaede?!

"Damn it...I told her not to..."

I opened the message, and read it to myself.

_Asuka, thank you so much for saving me. I know you told me to forget about you, but that simply isn't something I can do. I know I'm in a bad way. But I'm not the only one, right? I don't think I could live with myself knowing I left you behind. To be honest I can barely live with myself right now, knowing what I've done. I'm sorry, but I'm coming for you._

_This is a really scary situation, I know. But we're both so lucky to be alive! Just remember we should both be dead right now, especially me! We're not. If there is any hope left in you, please hold onto it! I'll be doing the same, so please take care of yourself! We're both getting out of here, together! I'll see you soon! Xxx_

_-K-_

"God dammit, Kaede...why are you like this?"

In this utterly hopeless situation, Kaede was the one light I had left in my heart. I didn't expect her to rescue me. Maybe she was just trying to help me feel better. It was working, a little. I was still crying, but if Kaede was truly coming for me, I still had some hope left to cling on to. I wasn't going to kid myself; she would probably die trying. That was just the nature of the situation. Security in this place was bound to be tighter with her running around, and wherever this cell was...well, it certainly wasn't next to the reception desk.

Kaede hadn't lost her spirit since the execution. That made me equal parts glad, and terrified for her well being. I didn't want her to throw her life away as quickly as she got it back. She didn't even know me, let alone what I looked like. I was naive to think she would change. She was the kind of person who was selfless to a fault. If she truly used to be as despicable as Keisuke let on, then maybe...ugh...maybe the killing game actually did some good. Truly, if we both managed to make it out of here, somehow...I hoped she would remain that way forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No prizes for guessing who that mysterious woman was :) Anyway from here on out we'll be mainly focusing on Kaede. Writing in the first person doesn't necessarily lend itself well to multiple perspectives. At least, I don't think I'm good enough to have that kind of thing flow well yet.


	4. Road to Hell

**PERSPECTIVE: KAEDE AKAMATSU, ULTIMATE PIANIST**

"Oh man...the battery's almost out..." I sighed as a 15% battery warning flashed up on the phone Asuka had given me. 15% and steadily draining - I felt like the phone was mocking me. I had to look at the maps sparingly, and contacting Asuka at this point was out of the question. She hadn't replied to my admittedly melodramatic text, but that was probably for the best.

I'd reached the nearest entry into the ventilation system, and all was quiet. So much so I could hear the pounding of my head. Although I was able to quench my first, I couldn't do anything more about the pain. My arm, or rather the bloody socket where it used to be, throbbed rhythmically. Like it was shrieking in agony. I had to maintain composure...I'd managed to survive this long. Hopefully it wouldn't be much longer until I found Asuka. If I reached her, what was my plan gonna be from there? I didn't have the slightest clue.. But I truly believed that in the darkest depths of despair, there is always a ray of hope - no matter how small - it's always there.

The shaft was only big enough for me to crouch through. I think I would've preferred just enough space to crawl; having to kneel was only putting immense strain on my already weak knees. It was tempting to take a break, but I simply didn't have the luxury of time. We can rest all we want when we're out of here, I thought.

It had only been a few hours since I woke up. The phone's clock read 1:38 am. As this was a company issued phone, I trusted its accuracy. Asuka was probably sleeping by now. Either that or she was so sick with worry that she couldn't. I steeled myself again and continued through the shaft.

Along the way, I passed several grates that looked down into multiple rooms. Offices, a cafeteria, a rec room and so on. Nothing out of the ordinary for such an extraordinary company. Upon inspection of the maps, it was clear to see that the complex was situated directly below the academy, which made sense. I don't recall seeing any signs of an office building, or anything of the sort, while I was there.

Passing another grate in the vent, I was startled when I noticed a couple of employees. Clearly pulling some  _serious_ overtime. They seemed to be having a conversation. Curious, I peered through the grate, careful not to make any noise.

"Hey, you see what happened to the new girl today?" one of them, a man in his early thirties, said to his colleague. The other employee, a mid-twenties looking black haired woman, raised her arms behind her head and sighed.

"Nope," the woman said definitively, cracking her knuckles, "but it was pretty late by the time the trial was over. She probably went home."

"I...wouldn't be so sure about that," the male responded with light concern in his tone, "I saw her run into Keisuke."

"Oh my god. The disposal creep? Shoulda told her about him. Green as she is, she probably fell hook, line and sinker for his nice guy shtick."

Keisuke...I wondered to myself. I made a mental note of this man's name. He likely had something to do with Asuka's confinement.

"You know, I heard that guy collects body parts. Like, actually  _collects_ them. That's fucked up, right?"

"My dude, there's plenty of fucked up people at this company. Not that I'll take that rumour at face value, but it sure wouldn't surprise me. Guy's probably fucked a few of the corpses in his time too, y'know?"

"Ugh...gross, Karin! You know I'm squeamish about that kind of thing."

Oh my--did they seriously employ someone who was collecting corpses and...and fornicating with them?! I had to believe it was just a rumour. If this Keisuke had control over Asuka...no! I winced as I tried to push that invasive thought to the back of my mind.

I was so done with that conversation, so I decided to just move on. Any more of it would probably make me want to vomit. After another ten minutes of vent crawling I found another office. This one was empty, and much darker than the others. 

The only source of light I could see was coming from a laptop in the corner of the room. Squinting my eyes, I could make out an email on the screen. The floor of this room wasn't too far from the shaft. Thus, curiosity got the better of me. I opened the grate and dropped down into the office, making my way over to the laptop. The email on-screen sent a chill down my spine...

\--CONCERNS ABOUT THE EXECUTION--

_For the attention of all on the execution construction unit._

_We have identified several flaws in the construction of Execution Site #1. Our chief concern is how the noose lines up with the thorns inside the piano lid, or rather, how it does not. As you have designed it these thorns are meant to destroy the blackened's corpse. However, the bulk of the thorns are misaligned with where her corpse will be dangling at the end._

_Our concerns are likely misplaced, though in the slight chance the subject survives the hanging, then we can't be certain the thorns will finish her off._

_Speaking of the hanging, the dimensions of the noose aren't as tight as we'd like them to be. We can control her all the same, but the automated path the Monokuma unit will guide her across has already been programmed and finalised._

_To make the remaining students think that she's dead beyond a shadow of a doubt, we've installed blood packs on the rim of the piano lid, which will explode when the lid shuts on them._

_In the case of the subject's survival, inform the body disposal team immediately. After the survival of numerous blackened from the last three seasons, any further failures will not be tolerated. Let me be perfectly clear: Kaede Akamatsu has to die. Your careers are on the line._

_Sincerely,_

_Team Danganronpa Show Management_

_\--_

For a moment, my heart felt like it had stopped in its tracks. Kaede Akamatsu...has to die. The words were cold and uncaring. This show...it really kills people. Seasons upon seasons of death. I started to wonder that even if Shuichi and the others survive...would the show just go on? How many more will be sacrificed in the name of entertainment?!

Feeling a little nauseous, I was about to step back from the laptop when another, recently opened email, caught my eye. The subject line read "EXECUTION #1 FINAL EDIT".

I had no reason at all to open this email. No reason whatsoever. Nothing good could've come from me watching back my own demise. Yet my morbid curiosity seemed to grow a conscience of its own, and guided my hand to click on the email. The email contained no body of text. Just a single video file.

All I needed to do..was turn away...and head back into the vent. I didn't need to see the video but...I wanted to. I let my most base instincts take over...and clicked on the file. It automatically began to play.

The first thing I saw was myself. I looked nervous, unsure of the horror that was about to befall me. Then the final moment I remembered, before my vision went blurry. Shuichi...reaching out to grab me as I was pulled away by a mechanical noose latched around my neck. I flew off, and the ceiling closed me off from reality.

I hadn't remembered any of the next part. I watched speechless, as I was tossed around like a ragdoll, before succumbing to asphyxiation. Or so I thought. I think I may have just passed out. But the final moments shocked me to my core. The blood splattering everywhere. The catatonic looks on my classmates as they gazed in pure horror. Poor Shuichi...he looked like the soul had been completely removed from his body.

The entire scene was now burned into my memory. I would never forget this. A vicious range of emotions welled up inside me. Anger, disgust, sadness, defeat. I had to remind myself...remind myself I was still alive. That's how surreal the video was. It made me think I was dead. Without saying another word, I left the laptop as I'd found it, and climbed back into the vent.

I was furious, but also confused. I really didn't know what to think right now. I was never a squeamish person - in fact, I think I handle blood and gore reasonably well. But seeing it happen to yourself? That was a different story entirely. I felt cold, unfeeling. Not because of my injuries, but because I just felt like all semblances of reality had been forcibly removed from existence. I was exhausted. Right now...I just needed to take a break.

I couldn't allow myself to do that, though. Someone was counting on me. As I descended lower and lower through the vents, the areas adjacent to me stopped being offices and bathrooms. The lack of them gave way to storage rooms of various kinds, and rooms of more industrial nature.

Through tired eyes, I took another look at the map on my phone. 5% battery left. But if the map was to be believed, I was at the very end of its coverage. Ahead of me was a steep drop. On the map, it led to complete nothingness. But something had to be down there. I'd come too far not to take the chance. I moved to the very precipice and looked down. It was indeed a very steep drop.

I carefully reached my hand to the other side of the vent, suspending it over the drop. Then placed my left foot on the edge for support, while my right planted against the wall over the descent. I dropped my left foot down to the opposite of my right. Like a spider, I slowly descended down this final shaft. Loosening and tightening my grip so as to not completely plummet. Mercifully, about two minutes later, I'd reached the bottom. I dropped out of the shaft into an empty room.

"This has to be it..." I mentioned to myself. I was in a room void of any kind of object. Just four walls and one door.

Shaking, I pulled open the door. Affixed on the other side of it was a sign: CELL BLOCKS. I'd made it.

The corridor was long and winding, with nothing in the way of a light source. There were barred cells on either side, all of them empty. I used what little phone battery I had left to create a light for myself, shining it in the cells, hoping it would glance upon someone in there. Finally, after minutes of searching, I found her.

My light was shining on a young girl with black hair. She was curled up in the corner of the room, possibly sleeping.

"A-Asuka...?" I tried. But there was no response.

I tapped the bars of the cell three times with my phone. This was enough to stir her, but she didn't directly respond to me.

"Asuka! Is that you?" I desperately asked in a loud whisper. "It's me, Kaede!"

 

"Ugh..." the girl moaned. "Pretty bold of you to assume I'm Asuka..."

"H-huh?" I stepped back, "W-well, are you?"

"Yeah. I'm just messing with you," she gave a relieved sigh, "I genuinely didn't think you'd come."

"Yeah, I genuinely didn't think I'd make it," I laughed nervously, "turns out all I needed to do was follow the vents."

"Don't congratulate yourself just yet," Asuka warned, "everything you've done so far? That was the easy part."

"I know that," I nodded. Not only did I still have to break Asuka out of her cell, we also needed to escape. "I just need to find the key and--and--"

"Kaede?" Asuka was starting to look a little blurry. "Kaede!"

I'd collapsed to my knees, finally succumbing to my exhaustion. "I just need a minute..."

"No! You have to get out of here!" Asuka yelled. "He could come back any second!"

"He?" I mumbled, "Who is he?"

"Ohhh, are you talking about me, Asuka?"

The voice of man roused me from my stupor. I jolted to my feet and took a defensive stance.

"Who are you?!" I shouted.

"No need to be so startled, Akamatsu-chan," the figure's face came into view. He wore a disturbingly twisted grin.

"Keisuke..." Asuka said through gritted teeth.

"K-Keisuke!" I yelled in surprise. The guy I'd heard those two office drones talking about?

"Huh. Does my reputation precede me or what?" he chuckled. "Now, Akamatsu-chan, would you be so kind as to lay on the ground so I can end your life? I promise I'll make it quick."

"Like hell I'm gonna give in so easily!" I shouted back. "What's your problem?!"

"Oh, Akamatsu-chan..." Keisuke giggled fiendishly, "why are you so adamant on living a life that isn't even yours?"

"Huh? W-what?" his words...were utterly baffling. "What is that even supposed to mean?"

"Welllllll, seeing as though you'll be dead soon, I guess I can indulge you," he shrugged, "you're a fictional character."

"E-excuse me?" again, his words weren't making sense. What on earth was he talking about?

"I'll grant you, that's not a whole lot to go off," he shook his head, "basically...all your memories, your personality, your talent...they're all fabricated! Gifted to you by Team Danganronpa! Your shitty old life has been completely erased. Your family, your friends, your GOD AWFUL personality...all that means nothing to you now!"

"W-what..."

"Don't listen to him, Kaede!" Asuka latched the bars of her cell.

"Oh shut up, Asuka!" Keisuke snapped back at her. "You know it's true! It literally says so in your contract! You know that the Kaede in front of you now isn't the same one who signed up for the killing game! Why try to hide that from her? Don't you care about your friend, Asuka?"

"Shut up! Don't you turn this around on me!"

As they argued, I completely lost focus. I was trying, and failing, to come to terms with what Keisuke had been talking about. I'm not...me? All of my memories...all the performances I'd given. The modest amount of fame I'd achieved as a pianist. The people I thought were friends and family...not of that actually existed. Those memories...had just been planted in my head.

I grew dizzy, my vision unable to regain focus. All I could make out was Keisuke's blurry figure slowly walking toward me. This was it. The killing blow. I was about to die in complete and utter despair. I would've been better off being killed by that morbid execution. That would have meant me never learning the awful truth.

And right now, in the absolute hopelessness of the situation...all I wanted was to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did my best to cram a lot of V3's exposition into one clear and coherent summary. Hopefully I've achieved that well enough. Again I don't want to spend a ton of time on V3's Ch6 revelations. But I felt it important to at least establish it for Kaede, seeing as though she was obviously absent for it in the main game.


	5. Rise

As my vision dimmed, the man named Keisuke was close enough that I could feel his breath on my neck. I wanted so desperately to pull away; I just felt like I no longer had a reason to do...anything. If there was nothing truly worth fighting for...if my life had really been erased at the drop of a hat...what business did I have still existing? Even though I could hear Shuichi's voice in my head - begging me to snap out of it - I was almost completely gone. I was erasing myself.

Suddenly, Keisuke's figure stumbled to the side. The moment startled me, and my vision instantly refocused. On the ground in front of me lay a tiny rock, jagged enough to leave a mark. Sure enough, the rock had a speck of blood on its sharpest side. Keisuke was to my right, crouched down, clutching his ear and whimpering. Asuka must have thrown the rock. I looked at her, and she gestured her eyes down to Keisuke's pocket. I looked down at his pocket, and there were keys in them! While he was injured, and in my moment of lucidity, I wasted no time in swiping the keys from his pocket, throwing them toward Asuka. She caught them easily, and began trying all of them on her cell door. I turned back to Keisuke, just in time for his knuckle to connect with my face.

I hit the ground with a soft thud. A trickle of blood escaped my mouth. It wasn't the hardest punch, but it was enough to send me reeling. I tried supporting myself with my arm, desperate to struggle back to my feet. But Keisuke had other plans. He kicked my arm, causing me to hit the ground again. He then took a swift and powerful boot to my abdomen. A rush of blood poured from my mouth. I clutched my stomach in agony, and hot tears drenched my face.

"Stop hurting her!" Asuka cried. "She hasn't done anything to deserve this!!"

Asuka was still struggling with the keys, but she caught Keisuke's attention all the same.

"Give me the keys, Asuka," Keisuke viciously whispered, "and I'll stop beating on your precious murderer..."

Precious...murderer...

Something about those words made something snap inside me. A red mist glazed over my vision. Just before Keisuke was out of reach, I grabbed his leg and pulled hard, causing him to faceplant against the cold floor. I stood up, and kicked his body to the side so he was facing me. I collapsed my knee onto his chest, and threw my arm at his throat. Blood oozed from my mouth and tears streaked down my face as I began choking him.

"Kaede what are you--" Asuka suddenly yelled.

"I've already killed once," I angrily replied, "a second should be no problem, right?"

"Kaede, stop!" she cried. "You're not a murderer!!"

"Are you kidding?!" I yelled back, my grip on Keisuke's throat getting tighter as he gagged for air. "Did you see what happened to Amami?!"

"You're not listening to me!!" Asuka pleaded. "When I say it, I mean it!!"

Keisuke was going blue in the face.

"You see now what you put  _me_ through, don't you?!" I coarsely shouted at Keisuke. "How does it feel, not being able to breathe?!"

"For fuck's sake,  _YOU DIDN'T KILL AMAMI!!_ "

Asuka's words jolted back into reality. My senses returned to me, and I slowly loosened my grip on Keisuke's throat. I let go completely, leaving him to gasp for air as he writhed pathetically on the ground.

"What do you mean, Asuka?" I solemnly said, not making eye contact with her.

"Keisuke told me..." Asuka sobbed. "It was a setup. You were framed, Kaede. I'm not lying."

I looked at Asuka. Her expression was sad, but sincere.

"Your shot missed..." she continued "...the person who framed you was--"

"Don't say it..." Keisuke snapped between gritted teeth. "Don't you say her name..."

"Her?" Asuka wondered. "All I was going to say was...the mastermind."

"Wh--you...you bitch..." Keisuke chuckled. It was a desperate, pathetic chuckle. He knew he'd said something he shouldn't have.

"So, the mastermind is a female, huh?" I asked no one in particular.

"I'm actually not sure who it was," Asuka replied, "but a woman came by my cell earlier. She had long, strand-like hair. She was wearing glasses, too."

Long, strand-like hair. Glasses. I racked my mind to see if anyone I knew fit that description. And then,  _she_ crossed my mind. Her image flashed into my brain for only a second, but it made my head throb.

"Shiro--Shirogane..."

I trembled. There was no way it could be true. Tsumugi seemed like one of the nicer, more approachable members of the class. On the surface she seemed harmless, someone you could just talk to for hours. Everything about her screamed guilt-free. From her simple hobbies to her bubbly personality. She was the very picture of innocence. Keisuke fell into a low, stuttering laugh when I mentioned her name. That seemed to all but confirm it. The mastermind was...Tsumugi Shirogane.

"Oh, they fucked you up something beautiful, Akamatsu-chan," Keisuke muttered heavily, "you act like you're  _such_ a sweetheart. The glue that holds everyone together."

"Shut up..." I said under my breath.

"You've got all the makings of a cold-blooded killer..." he wheezed, "Shirogane-san...would be so proud of you."

"I said shut up!" I cried, now coming to terms with the fact I'd attempted to murder  _again._ I couldn't deny his words, much as I wanted to. To protect those I held dear, it seemed I'd be willing to go to extreme lengths. Really, I was a danger to others as much as myself.

"Don't listen to him, Kaede," Asuka comforted me, now free from her cell. "I don't agree with the methods, but you were just trying to help."

Keisuke was in no state to fight back. He continued to writhe in pain on the floor. Asuka dragged his limp body into the cell she'd just been freed from, locking it behind her.

"There, he can't hurt us anymore," Asuka turned back to me, "and you have no reason to hurt him."

No. I  _did_ have a reason. But I knew I had to keep that side of me in check. There was something  _very_ wrong with me. And from this point on, I vowed not to let my darker side take over. Twice, now, had I attempted to take someone's life. Twice had I deeply regretted doing so. It's a feeling I definitely didn't want to experience a third time.

"I'm sorry, Asuka," I lowered my head, "guess I'm not all that good-hearted after all."

"Kaede, we have to go, but I'll say this much," Asuka raised her finger, "these are not normal circumstances. You're not a cold-blooded killer. Do not let the situation get the better of you."

I looked at Asuka and nodded. Right now, she was exactly who I needed to keep my emotions in check. I took a deep breath, and followed her to the exit of the cell complex.

* * *

We found ourselves stood in an elevator, not unlike the one I rode down to face the class trial. Thankfully, though, this one was taking us upward. We weren't exactly sure where we'd end up, but any vertical progress was a positive in my mind.

With the last of my phone's battery, I checked the time. 6am. My classmates would be waking up soon. I hoped Shuichi was able to get at least some sleep, but I knew that was probably a lot to ask of him.

Speaking of sleep, and partly thanks to the gentle humming of the elevator, I forcibly slumped myself in the corner and let out a huge sigh.

"Hey, you okay?" Asuka inquired.

"Y-yeah, I think so," I replied, rubbing sweat from my forehead. "I'm just a little exhausted."

"I can imagine," she managed a smile. "I dunno where this elevator's gonna take us. But anywhere's better than down, right?"

"Yeah. Right."

I was so tempted to nod off. I desperately needed rest. That encounter with Keisuke left me mentally and physically drained. I wiped the dried blood from the corners of my mouth. It made me realise how much pain I was in. Asuka looked over to me with concern on her face.

"Once we get out of here," she said, "I'm taking you to a hospital. We're gonna get you fixed up, okay? And you can have all the rest you need."

"Thanks..." I managed a smile.

"It's the least I could do. You came back for me, and I really didn't think you actually would. You're not as heartless as you think, Kaede. Please believe that."

She was right. I was...a good person. At least, I would try to be from now on. I had to believe that things would get better. I had to believe there was still a life waiting for me beyond these walls. If not for that, then I may as well just become another Keisuke. And nobody wanted that.

"Hey, maybe when we get out of here," Asuka proposed, "you could play me something on the pia--oh...no, sorry. Forget I said that."

Asuka quickly remembered I was missing an arm. Her request stung a little, but I couldn't blame her for that.

"N-no, it's okay," I smiled, "maybe I can save for a prosthetic or something!"

"Yeah, you should do that," Asuka nodded. "I've never played a piano before. Oh, maybe you could teach me Der Flo--um...I'll stop talking now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be clear, while I do think Kaede has the capacity to kill to protect those she loves, I absolutely do not think she could be a cold-blooded killer through and through. Nor would she make a habit of it. I just feel that should the situation turn into that, Kaede wouldn't hesitate to resort to drastic measures. V3-1 is evidence of this, and I wanted to explore how far Kaede could take that mentality. I think what I've displayed here would be her limit.


	6. Momentary Hope

There was nothing special about our surroundings after we'd stepped off the elevator. Just another barren corridor with numerous doors on either side. Asuka still held the keys we'd swiped from Keisuke. I hoped they would come in handy again. So many keys, yet so many doors to try. If we weren't in the situation we were in, I'd probably let my curiosity go nuts.

Asuka was looking around, wondering which door to try first.

"I'm not familiar with this part of the facility," she sighed, "we'll just have to hope for the--"

Suddenly I'd collapsed to my knees. Not through sadness or anger, or anything like that. This was pure exhaustion, plain and simple. And Asuka could see it on my face.

"Okay," she said, "we're gonna find an empty room and lay low for a while. That sound good?"

"Thanks, but we can't," I panted, "we'd get found eventually. So we need to keep going."

"Why? There's no time limit here. Yeah, they're looking for us. But to them, we could be anywhere in this facility at all. It's not  _so_ well staffed that they could find us in a heartbeat. And besides, I've still got these."

Asuka flashed the set of keys at me.

"Oh, of course. So we just need to find a door we can lock, right?" I asked, managing a hint of a smile.

"Precisely," she smiled back.

After looking around on this floor, and  _thankfully_ not running into anyone (this part of the facility must not be where their priorities were), we found a room that would be perfect to settle down in. A spacious room with a computer, phone chargers, some blankets, and best of all, one of Asuka's keys fit the lock! This seemed to only be another storage room, but it had everything we needed for the moment.

I spread one blanket out on the ground, and threw another one over myself. There weren't any pillows, sadly, but some luxuries would still have to wait. Asuka locked the door, put our phones on charge, and lay out her blankets. We stared at the ceiling in comforting silence. A silence I shortly decided to break.

"Asuka," I began, "you don't have to answer this, but...what were they gonna do to you after locking you up? I mean, they couldn't keep you down there forever, right?"

"Huh? Oh, it's probably a load of bullshit, but Keisuke said he would turn me into a participant on the next killing game," she replied. It was a reply that unsurprisingly shocked me.

"That's awful!" I cried. "So...you would've become like me, huh..."

"Oh, that's right. The you that you know now...well, that's only been you for the last day and a half. Know what I mean? You're basically a newborn. Yeah, I think that would've happened to me, too."

I hadn't really thought about it, but she was right. I had a wealth of memories, revolving around my life as a world class pianist. I could've sworn they were all real. They were so vivid in my mind, and I could recall them as easily as any real memory. But they weren't real at all. Whoever I was before this, I had no idea who that Kaede was. I didn't know her family, her struggles. I didn't know what made her happy or sad, or what she liked to do in her free time. That version of me, the  _real_ me...she was effectively dead. I was like a vessel now - like I was a spirit possessing the soul of this lost girl.

"Kaede, you still awake?" Asuka suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry," I smiled, "I was just lost in thought."

"I don't blame you, it's a lot to take in. Scary, for sure. But on the brighter side, you've kinda been blessed with this amazing talent, y'know? If we-- _when_ we get out of here, the world's your oyster. You can go anywhere, do anything you want! And you'll have your incredible talent to pull you through."

"Oh, that's sweet of you to say but...there's only one thing I care about right now," I responded, "and it isn't my talent."

"Oh?"

"As cool as it is, my talent is as fake as my memories," I said, lowering the mood, "being the Ultimate Pianist isn't something I earned. It was forced into my brain, pushing out whatever it was I had before. I...enjoy playing the piano. At least I think I do. And I think I'll continue to do so. But, yeah, it's not the main thing on my mind right now."

"Then...what is?" Asuka wondered. "Oh, wait! I totally know! It's Saihara-kun, right?"

I gasped, blushed and turned away. "M-maybe..."

"Ohh, Kaede," Asuka swooned, "you're so sweet, you know that?"

Desperate to take charge of the conversation, I flipped the same line of thinking of Asuka.

"W-what about you?" I asked. "You haven't been brainwashed. Do you have anyone special in your life?"

Asuka had a nostalgic glint in her eyes, like she'd been whisked to a very happy place in her mind. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek.

"Yeah, I do," she finally said, "I have my family, for one. Especially my sisters. They're all so kind, and caring and...successful. I want to be just like them. And then, there's my girlfriend. I love her with all my heart, and she must be worried sick right now."

"Aww, I bet she's lovely! I hope I get to meet her someday."

"I'm sure you will," she nodded, "now, how dare you flip the script on me! Tell me about Saihara-kun!"

"Wh--how did this get back on me?!"

"Oh, come on! Let's have a little fun!" Asuka beamed. "You like him, right?"

"Y-yeah..." I blushed. But, that warm feeling was swiftly replaced by a more chilling one. "I'm terrified for him, though. He's still in there, fighting for his life. And the lives of everyone else. He could be...he could be killed at any moment, and then, I dunno what I'd do with myself..."

"I get you," Asuka comforted me, "he's your reason to keep going, isn't he?"

"He is," I conformed, "I really hope I get to meet him again someday."

"Oh man, imagine the look on his face when he sees you alive," Asuka sighed almost romantically.

"Ah, I haven't even thought that far ahead yet!" I nervously replied. "I'll probably scare him half to death! What if he thinks I'm a ghost or something?!"

"Well, I wouldn't blame him. You do kinda look like one right now!"

"Hmph...I'll let that slide."

We continued talking for what felt like hours. Asuka was becoming a really good friend, and I was deeply grateful for her support. She was fun to be around. Funny, smart, exactly the kind of girl that would make another girl so, so happy to be with. Despite having to meet Keisuke, going back for her was definitely the right call. She had a family, a home and a loving relationship to return to. I had very little else besides Shuichi, and even he might not...no, I had to push those thoughts out of my head. He  _would_ survive. I would bet my life on it. Hell, I kind of already did.

Eventually, we were too tired to even talk. We'd been in this room for what felt like hours, and hadn't heard a peep from beyond the door. I took that as a sign that we were safe resting here. Sure enough, in the next few moments, we'd both fell soundly asleep. Finally, some rest...

* * *

 

I came to amidst some very dark surroundings. I could just barely make out my hands in front of my face. Wait... _hands._ Somehow, my left arm was back in its place. I was slightly taken aback, but the mild joy I felt from this quickly vanished. A crack of light shone horizontally in front of me. This gap grew slowly larger, letting more and more light through. The wall in front of me was opening, and bending upwards until the wall was above my head. Looking around, I gasped in horror at where I was. This was...the ghastly piano prop I'd been executed on.

I looked forward again to see my classmates from the killing game. All fifteen of them, including Amami, who was wearing a bloody bandage around his head. All of them were cheering as they looked up at me. Shirogane was there, too, cackling so loud as to drown out the cheers from the other students. And Shuichi...he was the only one who didn't look happy. In fact, he was crying, looking at the others in disbelief at their ecstasy. I tried calling out to him, but no words could escape my mouth. It was like my voice had been torn from my throat.

Then, I felt some liquid pool around my foot. I looked down to see it was blood. Seeping between the piano keys and pooling around my feet. In fact, there was blood splattered all the way down the piano.

"LOOK BEHIND YOU!" the crowd of students jeered me on. It was...all so surreal.

I looked over at Shuichi again. He looked like he was screaming my name, but no words came from his mouth. Just like me, he was completely mute.

"LOOK BEHIND YOU, AKAMATSU-CHAN!" the crowd continued to shout. Their faces warping and distorting into something akin to pure evil.

There was nothing else for it, I thought, and I gave in to their request. I slowly turned around, and focused on the wall behind me. And...oh, god...I really wished I hadn't.

The students erupted into fanfare as I gazed, horrified, at the sight before me. It was my corpse. Crucified on the spikes and thorns that had previously closed on me. I was dripping blood from countless wounds. My face was near unrecognisable, my body destroyed by the contraption I'd been sentenced to die on. Then, the applause stopped, and the room fell dead silent.

I turned around, and witnessed a sight perhaps even more shocking than seeing my own dead body. Fourteen students lay dead, in pools of their own blood. Only one was left standing. It was Shuichi. He was holding a knife soaked in blood, on his knees and quietly sobbing to himself. I simply watched on in horror as my classmates' pools of blood seeped into one another, eventually forming into one large pool.

"Hey," I heard a chilling voice say behind me.

I quickly spun around, and right in my face...was my crucified corpse.

"Was it worth it?" she smiled eerily.

Then, my world went black.

* * *

 

"GAH!!" I jolted awake in a cold sweat. "W-what was all that about..."

I was shivering. That dream...no, that  _nightmare..._ it was something I never wanted to experience again. The twisted happiness of my classmates, my crucified blood-drenched body, Shuichi's downfall into utter madness. And worst of all, the look on my corpses face...oh, god, that smile. It was only a dream, but that smile had embedded itself into my brain. A festering look of pure, unbridled despair.

Despite some grogginess, and you know... _that..._ I otherwise felt rested. I rose to my feet, and went over to where the phones were charging. Thankfully, they had done so, and were fully charged, at that. My phone's clock read 11:38pm. We'd managed to sleep through the entire day.

Asuka must've heard me stirring, and rose to a sitting position herself. She drearily rubbed her eyes, before looking over at me and smiling.

"What's the situation, Kaede?" she yawned.

"Well, it's nearly midnight," I responded, "but our phones are charged, and I feel a little better now!"

I elected not to tell Asuka about the nightmare. After all we'd been through, that was a burden I wanted to keep to myself for now. It felt like we were so close to escaping, after all.

"Glad to hear it! Man, I wish we had some coffee right now, though. I feel like a log."

"Heh, you know, Shuichi and I bonded over our love for tea," I said, staring into space, "I'll have to buy some for when we meet again."

Asuka smiled, charmed by my fixation on Shuichi. Others may have found it a little creepy, but Asuka knew what he meant to me. She must've watched our interactions firsthand, after all.

"Hey, Kaede," Asuka said, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Huh? Sure, what is it, Asuka?"

"You seemed...pretty down when you were talking about your talent. And your memories." She paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry if this is a little heavy, especially after you just woke up but, what is it that's gonna define you? Once you're out of here, that is."

"What do you mean?" I cocked my head to the side.

"I mean, you kind of acted like you had no interest in the person you are right now, after you found out it was all a fabrication. So, you can't recall who you were previously, and you don't seem to be fully on board with who you are now. But you also want to live and move on. So, what kind of person are you going to be moving forward?"

I thought about her question for a moment, before giving the only answer I felt was sensible.

"You know, honestly, I'm really not sure," I began, "the Kaede Akamatsu I am right now...she doesn't seem like a bad person at all. Maybe a little naive and a bit too eager to resort to the extremes, sure, but bad? No, far from it. I...I suppose I'll try to focus on the better parts of this new personality. It will be hard, sure, but I'll also try and keep the darker side of me in check."

"You think that darker side of you really needs to be acknowledged? Why?" Asuka wondered, confused.

"Because she's already made her mark," I replied bluntly, "I can't pretend the mistakes I made never happened. I'd just be giving myself a free pass to keep making those mistakes, y'know? Clearly I can be pretty horrible. I've lied, cheated, been distrusting of everyone I know. Oh, and I attempted murder. That's all just too big to ignore, and I...I don't wanna lie to myself anymore!"

"Ha, wow. That's actually pretty wise," Asuka smiled, "you are a good person, Kaede. You're intelligent, and realistic."

"Oh, I'm not all that!" I rubbed the back of my neck in mild embarrassment. "Besides, I can still indulge in the darker side, you know? But, just for silly little things. Like stealing from Shuichi's cookie jar!"

"Oh?  _Shuichi's_ cookie jar, huh?" Asuka smirked.

I just blushed, realising how quick I was to give such a specific example. "F-forget I said anything!"

* * *

Eventually, we summed up the courage to leave the room. Not a soul in sight besides myself and Asuka, much to our relief. However, there was something slightly different about the corridor.

"Hey, was that there before?" I asked, pointing to the object at the other side of the corridor.

"Huh?" Asuka looked to where I was pointing. "Oh, no. No, that for sure wasn't there earlier. What is it?"

"It looks like...a rope?"

I didn't want to get too close, in case it was a trap. But it definitely was a rope. And from this distance, it looked like it had been covered in barbs. A chill ran down my spine.

"A-Asuka...you don't think--"

My question was interrupted when, behind us, we could hear the sound of cheering. No, less like cheering, and more like an angry mob was approaching. And that's when I saw it. Above the door those sound were coming from. It was a sign that chilled me to my core...

_EXECUTION SITE #2_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe you can all see where this is going. Next chapter is...gonna be pretty heavy, and certainly not an easy one to write.
> 
> Kaede's nightmare is something I wrote in last minute. This whole ordeal isn't doing her mental state any favours, and I ultimately didn't want a purely laid back chapter. Those can come later ;)
> 
> Anyways, as always, hope you enjoy!


	7. The Spider's Thread

"A-Asuka..." I stammered, "what's that noise?"

"I dunno," she responded alertly, "but we should get back from that door!"

Asuka and I took some steps back from the source of the commotion, then pressed our backs against a nearby wall. Seconds later, the door burst open, and around ten to twenty people spilled out into the corridor. They were shouting and screaming at someone who'd broke the line. That one person had dashed ahead, towards the rope at the other end of the corridor. I recognised her immediately.

"T-Toujou-san!!" I yelled. It was one of my classmates, Kirumi Toujou, the Ultimate Maid. Unfortunately she couldn't hear me over the cacophony being created by these bystanders.

"Hey, quiet down!" Asuka snapped at me. "I recognise some of these people. They work here."

With that in mind, we both crouched down to remain out of sight. Through the legs of one of the crowd members, I could see Toujou-san begin her ascent of the rope. It then dawned on me what was going on. This was an execution site. Which means...Toujou-san must have murdered someone, and Shuichi and the others found her out. I wondered who she could've killed - it could've been any of them, but I hoped against hope that it wasn't Shuichi.

Toujou-san had disappeared from my sight. She must've been a ways up the rope by now. Was there truly an exit up there? No, surely not. Monokuma didn't seem the type to so freely offer an escape,  _especially_ after you've killed. I gasped when I saw specks of blood drip down from Toujou-san's position. On top of that, I could hear the coarse whirring of sawblades. Just what were they putting her through?! We noticed the crowd begin to disperse, thankfully none of them noticing or caring about our presence.

Everything was silent, until a lone, mechanical figure was thrust next to the rope. It looked like one of Monokuma's Kubs. The yellow one, Monosuke, I believe its name was. And then, before me, Asuka or the Monokub knew what was going on...

***SPLAT***

Toujou-san's body plummeted to the ground with a sickening thud, crushing the Monokub in the process.

"K-Kirumi..." I was at a total loss for words. Toujou-san had died on impact. I would say it was a quick death, but who knows what kind of torture she just had to endure on that rope. A stiff piece of cardboard fell on top of her, almost acting like a morbid, makeshift grave for her.

"Let's go, Kaede," Asuka said under her breath.

"I...I..." I was speechless. I couldn't move. This was different to Amami. When we discovered him, he was already dead. I just witnessed the exact moment Toujou-san's life left her body. It was...uniquely horrifying.

"Kaede, did you hear me?" Asuka waved in my face.

I couldn't respond. Just when I felt like I was getting a grasp on the situation, something like that had to happen, and throw me right back to square one. I felt exactly how I did just after I regained consciousness. I was slowly becoming a husk again.

"Kaede!" Asuka grabbed my shoulders and shook me. "We do not have the luxury of time! The body disposal team will be here shortly, we need to move!"

"Y-yeah...right..." I managed. I could walk, but I wasn't about to offer much in the way of conversation. My eyesight was still fixated on Toujou-san's corpse. She had a look of terrified defeat on her face. Like she'd come so close to escaping, yet it was never really in her grasp to begin with.

"I know she was your friend," Asuka said, "but there's nothing we can do for her now. Besides, you can't say she didn't have a price to pay..."

"What?"

Asuka's words were a little shocking to me. I mean, she was right. Toujou-san had committed murder. But no one deserved to die like that. Asuka's response was chilling. Just how normalised had the killing game become?

"Asuka..." I responded finally, "how can you be so cold?"

"Huh? Cold?" Asuka's expression darkened. "I'm just being realistic. You think I wouldn't have tried saving her if I could?"

"That's not what I was getting at and you know it!" I shouted back. "How can this be so matter-of-fact to you?!"

"Because that's exactly what it is!" she snapped. "53 seasons of this bullshit show...I never watched all that much of it, but even I've become desensitised to it. I just...I just don't care."

All emotion had left Asuka's face. She looked positively drained. Her honesty was brutal, but I could see where she was coming from. She hadn't interacted with Toujou-san at all. And if all this truly were being televised, it wasn't completely impossible that Asuka had seen a fair few executions in her time. For her, the killing game was probably just a fact of life. Always among her peripheral senses, constantly seeping into normalcy.

"I understand if you don't care," I said, "but if that's the case...why bother helping me? You could've just left me to bleed out and gotten on with your life."

Asuka nodded. "Yeah, I could have, but...look, I've only worked at this company for like a week or so. And I can't stand it. I wanted to take  _anything_ I could find to rebel against them. And, yeah, I guess I've always kind of taken issue with a TV show that literally kills kids."

"Asuka...I still have to thank you for saving me."

Had the world become so entranced by the killing game that Asuka's opinion was in the minority? I really hoped that wasn't the case.

"Don't get it confused. I saved you to throw a huge middle finger to this morally bankrupt establishment. That's not to say I don't see you as a friend - I do. Your presence is comforting, and you're keeping me sane. But in all honesty, did I save you because I thought it was the right thing to do? Because I wanted to save a life? No. I did it out of protest. And I certainly didn't do it because it was you. It could've been Toujou, Iruma, Ouma, even Saihara."

"And Shirogane?"

"Ha! You got me there. That's a good one."

"I see," I responded after some moments, not really sure how to process her admittance, "well, I appreciate your honesty. I don't really care what your intentions were. You clearly have goals of your own and...they're definitely goals I agree with. But you're still the reason I'm alive. And for that, I'm eternally thankful. At least let me have that."

"Of course," Asuka nodded, "I wouldn't wanna take that away from you. And...sorry, I can be a little too honest sometimes."

"Oh, no it's okay, really!" I comforted her. "I would rather you be honest than--"

"Oh, hey! Sorry to break up your wholesome chit-chat, but could the pair of you fuck off? I have a job to do."

* * *

 

Both Asuka and I looked over to the source of this new voice. It was all too familiar. Someone we hoped we'd seen the last of. Unfortunately, here he was, standing over Toujou-san's body with his hands in his pockets.

"Keisuke..." Asuka muttered angrily.

"Get away from her!" I screamed at him.

"Huh? What's the problem?" Keisuke smirked. "She's dead. You care this much about a dead body?"

"No. We don't. Do we, Kaede?" Asuka glared at me with intent. She looked pretty mad. Maybe we should've just moved on.

"I care about what you're going to do to her," I quipped back.

Keisuke sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, if you must know...we have a number of ways to dispose of bodies. Did you know we also run a cremation service so we can send the ashes back to their families?"

I clasped my hand over my mouth in disgust. I seriously hoped that was a joke.

"In fact," he continued, "Toujou-chan's family requested we do exactly that. And you know what? If you two cretins leave me to my own devices, I'll pretend I never saw you. Not because I'm a nice guy or anything like that. But because I'm so fucking sick of the sight of you. Especially you, murderer."

I clenched my fist and gritted my teeth, but Asuka ran to my side.

"Don't let him provoke you!" she scolded. "He's looking for a reaction. Let's just go, okay?"

I wanted to go. I really did. But, something kept telling me not to leave Toujou-san's body with this maniac. I was frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. Follow Asuka, or confront Keisuke. My anxiousness to deal with the situation was reaching a fever pitch. Follow Asuka, or confront Keisuke.

Follow Asuka, or confront Keisuke--

"Kaede, what are you doing?!" Asuka yelled. "She is  _dead._ There's nothing we can do for her now!"

"I-I know, I just--"

"Just  _nothing!_ Kaede, please! I wanna go home and see my family..." Asuka pleaded.

"Woah, wait, hold on a sec," Keisuke interrupted, "did you say... _family?_ "

"Yeah," Asuka nodded, "what's your point, asshole?"

Keisuke's tone regressed into something cold and emotionless. "Sawamura-chan...what makes you think you're any different to her?"

A horrid chill ran down my spine as Keisuke pointed at me. That had to have been a joke.

"What are you talking about?" Asuka's voice grew shaky. "I'm going home...to see my family! And I'm leaving this shitty place behind for good!"

Keisuke cackled to himself. "Here I go opening my big mouth again...but I just cannot resist the look of utter despair on your face."

"A-Asuka, I--"

"Shut up, Kaede! Keisuke, what are you talking about?!"

Asuka already knew what Keisuke was going to say next. She was just in denial. As any sane person would be.

"You remember those flashback lights I was telling you about?" Keisuke paused to wheeze out some more laughter. "What if I told you - oh,  _god,_ this is too good - what if I told you...we don't only use them on killing game participants?"

And there they were. Those words formed a bullet that pierced Asuka's heart.

"Killing game participants, interns, CEOs, shareholders," Keisuke listed, "anyone who chooses to associate themselves with Team Danganronpa. They  _all_ get the flashback light treatment!"

"What?! But...why? Why is that necessary?!" I yelled at Keisuke.

"Uhh, hello? We run a televised killing game?!" Keisuke tapped his head in jest. "How else is all this gonna be seen as even remotely acceptable?!"

I wasn't fully sure of what he meant, but, it did kind of make sense.

"So, with the flashback lights, Team Danganronpa are creating an army to spew their vile propaganda for them. Do I have that right?" I asked.

"Ding! You're smart, Akamatsu-chan!" Keisuke cheered. "We're like a beautiful virus, see? Anything that comes into contact with us, we just whip out the old flashback light and BOOM! Eventually we grew so large that we just became accepted. A fact of life. Isn't that great?"

"N-no! It's not great at all!"

"And it ain't just Japan!" Keisuke annoyingly continued. "You should check out Danganronpa USA, Danganronpa UK, Danganronpa Australia...we're a global phenomenon!"

If what Keisuke was saying was to be believed, then it made perfect sense to use the flashback lights on us. Our new selves...we had no idea about any of this, and in fact we'd been reprogrammed to be outraged by it. That drive to escape, to survive, that's what forced us into killing. What was going on out in the real world never should've been a factor for us. But, now we knew. And the revelations were just too much to handle. I turned to Asuka. The poor girl was catatonic. Completely unmoving. And who could blame her? She'd just been told her entire life was a lie. Whether or not it was true, it was certainly playing on her mind.

"Anyway, that's all I had to say," Keisuke playfully bowed, "you can run along now. Preferably before I call in the Monokuma units. I have a lot of work to do...with Toujou-chan's body."

Begrudgingly, I grabbed Asuka's arm and walked towards the door Keisuke was pointing toward. I had to leave Toujou-san's body with him; a regret I would carry for the rest of my life. But...there really wasn't much I could do. Keisuke outplayed us. He used our naivety against us, and now our mental states were paying the price.

* * *

 

Perhaps the cruellest part of Toujou-san's execution was just how close to an exit she was, without even realising it. All she had to do was choose a different route other than the rope. The door opened to reveal a long, tunnel-like corridor. At least, it felt like an exit. I could feel a breezy draft. Hopefully a truck wasn't about to gore us against the wall or anything...

I let Asuka sit down to gain her composure. She looked distraught. All I wanted right now was for her to feel okay again.

"Hey, Asuka," I tried, "what Keisuke said...it's probably not true, y'know?"

"Yeah. I know," she responded, "but...what if it is?"

"Well, in that case, you'll know what it's like to be me right about now," I said, probably not helping the situation.

Asuka stared at me unimpressed for a moment, but just remained quiet. An exhausted sigh escaped her mouth. She pretty much summed up how we both felt with that sigh. Any confrontation with Keisuke just ended up being so mentally exhausting. We both sat in silence for a time. The exit seemed close, but one final rest couldn't hurt.

"I don't believe him, just so you know," she finally spoke.

"Good," I smiled, "I'm sure your family is out there."

"Yeah. I've been coming and going to this place every day for a week now. I see my family every night. That can't be a lie. It just can't."

I tried to think of any opportunity they could've had to alter Asuka's memories, and I really couldn't. The only possibility I could think of was if they had a family "installed" to take care of her. But that seemed completely outlandish. Keisuke just had to be getting under our skin.

"It's good that you're thinking rationally about it," I nodded to Asuka, "that's the opposite of what Keisuke wants."

"Yeah, you're right," she replied, "the guy knows how to catch you off guard but...he ain't all that smart."

I grinned and stood up again. "We should get going. I think we're almost out."

"Yeah." Asuka stood up as well. "Hey, Kaede, I'm...sorry..."

"Huh? For what?"

"I, uh...said a lot of really insensitive things back there. Saying I didn't care about you or Toujou-san...that was incredibly rude of me. I just let the situation get the better of me and...well, look, I'm not good at apologies. But, yeah. I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's okay!" I insisted. "It's like you said. These aren't normal circumstances. We've both been driven to do and say things that we normally wouldn't, and I'm certainly in no position to be holier than thou. But it's okay. We can move on."

We continued to walk down the tunnel for about an hour. Both of us frequently questioning just how long this thing was. But just as we were starting to think it wouldn't end at all...there it was. A door in the distance...and end in sight. The draft grew stronger at this point, and both Asuka and I picked up the pace as we made our way to the door. Just one final lock stood between us and freedom.

"Asuka, you still got those keys?" I asked.

"Like I'd ever ditch something so useful," she smirked, pulling the ring of keys from her pocket.

After some false starts, Asuka finally found the right key. The padlock dislodged from the door with a satisfying click, and the door swung open. We brushed away the thick vines that hid the doorway. Sunlight bled over the edge of a nearby hill. We were just in time for a gorgeous sunrise. Stepping out of the tunnel, we found ourselves deep in the countryside.

"Wow...so beautiful," I swooned. It really wasn't all that. It was just nice to see something,  _anything_ other than the inside of that building. "Asuka, do you think we can get GPS here?"

"I should think so," Asuka nodded, pulling out her phone. "Yep, got a location for us. The nearest town is...ugh, it's five miles away."

"Well, I'd guess we'd better get to walking!" I beamed. But Asuka was looking at me with concern.

"Y'know, Kaede," she began, "I haven't really taken in just how messed up your body is until now..."

She was eyeing me up and down. Taking it all in; the bandages, cuts, bruises, the missing arm. I had of course been lucky to survive...but not so lucky as to avoid life changing injuries.

"You're right," I smiled wryly, "but we can worry about that later. Let's at least get to town first, so we can find a hospital."

"Yeah, let's do that," Asuka responded, "and Kaede?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you," Asuka smiled, wiping a tear from her cheek, "I...can't believe you came back for me. But I'm glad that you did. I'm beyond thankful, actually."

"No problem! I was just doing what I thought was right."

We continued down the countryside path. For me, it was only a small victory. Yes, we had escaped the clutches of Team Danganronpa, albeit with many mental and physical scars. I was also still worried about Shuichi and the others. The game was still going on, and I didn't know how long it would last. I tried to remain optimistic for them. It was hard, but, somehow, I knew Shuichi would pull through.

He just had to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I took some liberties in terms of time regarding Toujou's death. I know it probably shouldn't have happened for another couple of days, at least, but I wanted to speed the story along and actually get Kaede and Asuka out of the facility finally. I did kinda feel like all the sneaking around grew tiresome after a bit.


	8. Will to Live

"Has Toujou-san's body been disposed of?"

"Yep. Hell of a mess she left, but I've seen worse."

"And Akamatsu-san? Sawamura-san?"

"I let 'em escape. Just like you asked. But...I can't for the life of me fathom why."

"I'm playing the long game with those two. Akamatsu-san in particular. Whether I like it or not, this killing game...is different. The outcome will be different. And I may not survive it."

"Huh? You serious?"

"The combination of Ultimates we've created...they're more than the sum of their parts. That much is clear."

"They're a rowdy lot, for sure. But...are you really prepared to die for this?"

"When - if - that time comes...I'll be relying on you to pick up the pieces. The long game? That's where you come in."

"Oh, is that so? Then you have my full attention..."

* * *

 

"Hey, gimme your phone," Asuka suddenly demanded.

"Huh? Um, sure."

I handed Asuka's spare phone back to her. I watched as she placed both phones on the ground and picked up a nearby rock. Using it, she struck them with a solid blow, cracking the phones to pieces with each successive hit. She then gathered up the pieces and tossed them into a nearby stream.

"Oh man, that was satisfying," she grinned, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"Oh! I guess they won't be able to track us now?" I inquired.

"Precisely."

We continued to walk down the path next to the stream. The sound of gently flowing water was deeply soothing. The sprawling countryside was peaceful, and the soft sunrise a comforting sight for sore eyes. I never thought I would see the light of day again. I wish I could take the time to enjoy it fully, but it was now getting to the point where I urgently needed medical attention. Asuka grabbed my shoulder as I collapsed on one knee. I was slowly, but surely, succumbing to my injuries.

"Hey, come on, we're almost there," she said in a supporting tone.

"I know," I nodded, "it's just...it's hard. Can we keep talking? To take my mind off the pain?"

"Sure," Asuka smiled, "what about?"

I had many questions I wanted to ask her. The world seemed like it had changed so much. Or rather I would have to relearn how the world worked these days. My past self would've known what was going on for sure. Asuka, flashback light or not, was probably the best source of information I had on the matter.

"I wanna know what the world is like," I said, "the memories I have aren't real, right? So what's actually happening probably doesn't match what I remember."

"Huh...and here I thought you wanted to talk about our favourite songs," Asuka quipped, "but, very well. You want the short version or the long one?"

"We have the time, I'd like as much information as you can give, please."

"Okay, the long version it is..."

Asuka explained the situation as follows:

The world isn't really all that different. The biggest difference is that Team Danganronpa has driven a significant wedge into society. It dominates the airwaves worldwide, and is a media empire unlike all others. Even the biggest global corporations I could think of, Team Danganronpa dwarfed them at least tenfold.

It's said that the company started out as a concept. One lone writer put together a concept which eventually turned into a niche, but successful series of video games. It picked up steam and spawned manga, anime and stage plays. Eventually it became the most popular franchise in Japan, and inspired real life academies for the training of Ultimate students.

The mass media were torn on this development. On the one hand, it was a fantastic opportunity to give talented individuals the started they needed in life. But may others warned it was a dangerous step in the wrong direction, reminding the public that these academies were spawned from a series where students are forced to murder each other for their freedom.

However, the academies proved to be a success. It was at this point that they, along with all of Danganronpa's multimedia, were merged under the umbrella of Team Danganronpa. It got to a point where thousands of high school students fancied themselves as Ultimates. Applications skyrocketed, and the company's coffers were ever inflating. Academies were established overseas, all across the world, but the demand was just too much for the company to handle.

Around that time, a rumour spread that the company's management had been usurped. This new army of higher-ups had plans for the academies. Plans that would bottleneck the volume of applications, and force successful students into something they never asked for.

Just like the video games that gave the company its origin point, the academies were turned into sites for killing games. They were simultaneously televised, with the company insisting no real harm was coming to the students involved. This didn't turn out to be the case, however. But by the time the secret was out, nobody cared.

Regular viewers of Danganronpa mostly admitted they couldn't care less if the students were actually dying. The entertainment value overrode any semblance of guilt they had while watching. Coupled with the amount of money Team Danganronpa was funnelling back into the economy, even governments were willing to turn a blind eye.

Those who were legitimately critical of the show were either blacklisted, fired, or silenced...permanently. The most critical take you'd see in the media was that the show was a necessary evil. All students involved were offering their lives for world peace. That was the propaganda in place, anyway.

"So basically, life is pretty normal," Asuka said nonchalantly, "unless you get involved with Team Danganronpa, of course."

...

...

...

"Uhh, Kaede?"

I was utterly stunned by Asuka's account.

"Sorry," I shook my head, "that's a heck of a lot to take in, y'know?"

"Yeah, it is. Sorry I had to dump it all on you like that."

"And this is just common knowledge, right?" I asked cautiously. "Like, my past self would've known all of this, right?"

"Yep," Asuka casually replied, "and from what I heard you--no, never mind."

"Huh? I what?"

Asuka sighed. "Okay. I don't believe for a second what I'm about to tell you, but you think you can handle it?"

"Um, dunno if you noticed, but I literally just survived an inescapable execution," I quipped, "pretty sure I can take whatever you throw at me!"

"Ugh, you're way too cheery given what they did to you..."

"It's a coping mechanism."

"Sure. Anyway, it's about your past self, as I implied."

"Go on...?"

"Well, to put it bluntly..."

"Just say it already!"

"You were a dick."

"H-huh?!"

"Yeah. Keisuke told me. He's seen all the successful applications, apparently."

"I was...a dick?"

"Sorry to break it to you like that. I know it's not an easy thing to--"

"Is that all?"

"Huh?"

"Asuka, if there's one thing I've learned from this whole ordeal, it's that I can't let my past control me."

"Kaede..."

"I don't care if I was the nicest or the most hideous person. Whoever she was, she doesn't exist now. I feel...I feel as if I've cheated death, and been given a new life. If that's the price I had to pay, then so be it."

"Well, those things didn't happen in that order, but yeah, I see your point."

"Besides, I have more important things to worry about, don't you think?"

"Saihara-kun!" "Medical attention!"

"Y-yeah!" "N-no!"

Blushing, I broke this awkward stalemate swiftly. "Can we change the subject, please?"

We chatted away as we walked about a number of run-of-the-mill topics. I was so absorbed in conversation with Asuka that I didn't really care that my likes, dislikes and opinions were manufactured. They flowed seamlessly into conversation, and it taught me to just get on and accept the hand I'd been dealt. We were already making plans to meet up again once I was recovered - going shopping, eating out, and just regularly visiting each other. I didn't want to think about it but if Shuichi...didn't make it...I'd at least have Asuka as a friend.

"Hey, look, a roadsign!" Asuka gleefully pointed ahead of us.

Sure enough, the sign pointed the way to the closest town, and it wasn't far now! I finally felt like...I could relax...

"Oh, yeah!" I smiled drowsily. "That's...great..."

We were at the end of the road. The end of a long, arduous journey. And me? Well, I was at the end of my tether. My eyesight began to blur, and all of a sudden I felt so weak. All it took was another couple of steps to completely exhaust me. But before I could hit the ground, I felt Asuka catch me just in time. I could hear her shouting my name to no avail as I seeped into unconsciousness.

* * *

 

**PERSPECTIVE: ASUKA SAWAMURA, ULTIMATE INTERN**

"Well, she's been better, I can tell you that. Left arm torn from the socket. Deep cuts and bruises across the limbs, chest and abdominal area. Heavy bruising around the neck. A few broken ribs, and some internal bleeding to top it all off. If I'm being completely honest, it's a miracle she's even alive. And you said you walked five miles to get here?"

The doctor had been blunt in his assessment. After carrying Kaede the rest of the way to the hospital, I sat nervously in the waiting room, for any kind of news. She'd immediately been admitted to intensive care, which was best for her. Even still, it was hard to say when she'd make a full recovery...if she would at all.

"We'd been through some...pretty extreme circumstances," I explained. "Is my friend gonna be okay?"

I sat staring at the floor of the waiting room for hours, impatiently tapping my foot the whole time. Kaede's doctor had only just now come to fill me in on her situation.

"Don't worry. She'll live," the doctor was initially proud to tell me, "however, the extent of her injuries are so severe, we'll have to keep her in intensive care for at least a couple of months. Perhaps even longer."

"That's...fine," I sighed in relief. It sucked I wouldn't be able to see her anytime soon, but I'm glad she was going to pull through.

"It'll probably be a couple of weeks until we allow her visitors," the doctor added.

"Oh, that's not a problem. She needs the time to heal, after all," I nodded, "plus, I have some things to take care of myself."

"Please keep yourself busy, Ms. Sawamura. And try not to worry about your friend."

"I won't. Thank you, doctor."

I left the hospital, and Kaede, behind me. I'm sure that the doctor, or at least someone working at the hospital, would've recognised Kaede from the killing game. Nevertheless, I'm glad they accepted her as a patient regardless. From here, I decided to head home. I hailed a cab and gave the driver my home address. This was the moment of truth. The moment that would decide whether Keisuke had been telling the truth, or if he really was as full of shit as I knew he was.

I pulled my wallet from my pocket and inspected the photo I kept inside. Me and my girlfriend, before any of this happened.

"See you soon, babe," I whispered to myself. "See you soon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's basically Act 1 over and done with. Now we're moving on to greener pastures...is what I wish I could tell you. Prepare for a time skip next chapter, where we'll be checking in on an old friend.


	9. New Life, Old Problems

_**SIX MONTHS LATER** _

I sat in a sparsely populated waiting room, with just the definitive ticking of a clock to keep me company. I honestly don't know what possessed me to come here. It couldn't possibly be of that much help, not after everything I'd been through. I tilted my head up and looked around one more time. It was literally just me sat here, along with the receptionist, who showed next to no interest in my presence. Could be that everyone's really moved on.

Besides the front entrance, the waiting room only had a couple of other doors. One a bathroom, the other an office. Made sense, the place was small. Built for purpose, no excess, and nothing out of place. I kind of liked that. Even though there wasn't much about the place to contemplate, I was distracted from my thoughts by the opening of the office door.

"You're free to come through now," a tall, bespectacled man called me over. I nodded, and followed him into the office.

The office was a strange amalgamation of tidy...and disorganised. The room itself was clean, presentable, and maintained an air of professionalism. However, bookshelves and cupboards were filled to bursting with papers, binders, and all kinds of books and miscellany. It felt like if one thing was moved even slightly out of place, everything else in the room would spontaneously and cartoonishly spill out all over the place.

"I'm Saito Abe, and I'll be your psychiatrist for how ever long you need me."

"Ah, nice to meet you, Abe-san," I bowed.

"Please, take a seat," the bespectacled man motioned in a calming demeanour, "would you like some tea?"

"Oh, yes please," I nodded, "I would be very grateful."

I sat down on the reclining chair. I wasn't prepared to lie down on it; I didn't want it to be that kind of session. I was just here to get things off my chest, and leave. I was desperate to get back to my apartment and away from the public eye.

"You've dressed quite heavily, despite it being the middle of summer," he noted, "are you trying to keep a low profile?"

I didn't respond. Not out of reluctance - I just genuinely didn't know how to answer.

"Listen, if it makes you feel any better...your identity, our conversation...neither of those leave this room. I'd bet my license on it."

"It's...not that," I finally answered, "I trust you. It's just...given the circumstances..."

"I see. And, if you don't mind me asking, what are these circumstances?"

Wait...was he serious? Did he not know? To be fair, I was wearing some pretty heavy clothing, including a hooded jacket and a face mask. From a distance, it would be hard to pick me out of a crowd. But up close, I thought it would be a bit easier. I guess there's nothing for it, I thought. I pulled my hood down and removed the mask from my face.

"Ah, that makes more sense," Abe nodded, "so the name you applied with..."

"...is false," I took over, "Hifumi Yamada doesn't exist."

Abe smiled, but not maliciously. It was a calming smile. One of kindness. "Clearly he does not, does he, detective?"

* * *

My name is Shuichi Saihara. I'm known as the Ultimate Detective. It's a title that gives me great purpose in life. And yet, it brings with it so much sorrow and heartache. You probably know me from that awful TV show. I consider it my greatest accomplishment that myself and my friends were able to tear it down for good. But for the three of us who made it out alive...it came at such an overwhelming cost. A cost that we'd surely be shackled to for the rest of our lives.

Yes, I decided to maintain my role as a detective, simply because it was all I really had for myself. It was completely manufactured for me, sure, but I had precious little else going for me. I wanted to turn it into a positive, though. I wanted to go against the will of the killing game, and turn my talent into something that truly helps people. I now run a small detective agency in town. Really it's just an office, but it gives me the purpose I desire.

After we escaped, we were greeted by a world taken over by the influence of the killing game. But also one that was now recovering from it. Myself and my fellow survivors, Himiko Yumeno and Maki Harukawa, had resolved to forge new lives for ourselves with the talents we'd been given. That seemed like a good place to start, as the only memories of our own came from inside that academy. And it was those memories I so desperately wanted to leave behind. This is what I decided to explain to this psychiatrist, Abe-san.

"You know, the longer I tried to forget, the harder it became," I carried on, "I spend every waking hour thinking of someone very special to me. She was a person who even in the direst of circumstances, held firm and forged a path forward for me. Even though she isn't here anymore - and not that I'm particularly spiritual or anything - but I feel like she's always there, watching over me."

"Hmm. I take it this special person isn't around anymore?" Abe inquired.

I took a deep breath, about to admit something that never got any easier to say. "She...well, she isn't around anymore."

It's possible that Abe-san knew who I was talking about. He'd recognised me from the killing game, that much was clear. He must have had an inkling that I was referring to the Ultimate Pianist. However, he didn't press for her name. He didn't force any info out of me. He mostly just let me speak for myself. I see now why Maki recommended him, and she certainly wasn't one to open herself to others so easily.

"Did you...know this person particularly well? Were you close?" Abe probed.

"W-well...I would say we were close," I replied, "but we didn't know each other for long before...you know..."

"Did you trust this person?"

Abe-san's question seemed obvious, and I was about to say that yes, I unconditionally trusted Akamatsu-san. But I hesitated just as the words were ready to leave my tongue. Did I...trust her? It had been true that during the killing game, she had used me to an extent. Although it wasn't done so maliciously, I was still a pawn in her plan. That was a cold, hard fact of that situation. I'm sure that if things went differently - if Akamatsu-san had survived - we would've been able to talk it over and remain friends. But now I'll never know. I repeated this line of reasoning out loud to Abe-san. He nodded understandingly.

"Looking at things from all angles," he said, "just what I'd expect from a detective."

"Huh. Yeah. Is that bad?"

"No. It's not bad," Abe reassured me, "it never hurts to be cautious or to look at a situation objectively. The person you're talking about...do you think she had your best interests at heart?"

"I do," that was a question I could answer in absolute faith, "I just wish it didn't cost her own life..."

* * *

I left Abe-san's office feeling...a little better. Relatively speaking. I'd never truly been okay since we escaped, a fact that Maki and Himiko knew all too well. Himiko in particular had been doing quite well for herself. She'd managed to land an apprenticeship with a prominent circus troupe. She still insisted her tricks were real magic, and after everything she'd been through, neither I nor Maki had the heart to dismiss her.

I decided to book a second appointment with Abe-san. After paying the fee and saying my goodbyes, I stepped back outside, careful to first put my hood up again.

"So how did it go?"

I spun around, startled as a voice called out from behind me.

"Holy sh--Maki...what did I say about sneaking up on me like that?" I breathed a sigh of relief. Maki was trying (and failing) to hide a devilish smirk.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she said. I didn't believe her.

"Whatever," I sighed, "it went okay, I guess. Clearly I...have a lot more demons to exorcise than I thought."

"So you got a lot off your chest? That's good."

"Yeah, but...I think you know where most of the conversation ended up."

"Kaede?"

"Yeah...Kaede..."

"Shuichi," Maki pointed, "I'm not gonna tell you to forget about her. I think that's unhealthy. But dwelling on her 24/7? That's only gonna destroy you. You need to accept that...that she's not coming back."

Maki was a good person, but she could be unusually cold, and shockingly blunt. She was right, of course, I did need to move on. I just wish she could've let me down more gently.

"How do you deal with it?" I asked her.

"Deal with what?" she answered, deliberately dodging the question.

"You know what."

"I...don't," she gave in, "I just have a better poker face than you."

"I dunno about that," I deduced.

"Huh? What does that mean?" Maki asked, confused.

"Kaito at least died with some dignity," I admitted, "and don't get me wrong, I'm proud of him for that."

"So what's your point?"

"My point...is that Kaede wasn't offered the same luxury."

Maki stared at me blankly before looking away, not saying a word.

"Sorry, that was rude of me," I sighed, "it's not like either of them are coming back."

"Exactly," Maki whispered.

Maki walked me home. As she only lived a few streets away, we met up with each other frequently. We wished we could see Himiko a little more, but she was travelling all across the country at present. At least she had managed to take her new life in stride. It wasn't so easy for Maki and I.

As we arrived at my apartment, I invited Maki inside for some tea. She declined, saying she had a few things to do. I often entertained the idea that Maki had taken up the mantle of her talent as the Ultimate Assassin, even though I knew she was working at an orphanage nearby. Just before Maki turned to leave, she left me some parting advice.

"Shuichi, do me a favour, will you?" she began.

"Uhh, what?"

"Do something nice for yourself tonight. Do something... _anything_...that will improve your mood, okay?"

"Wha--where is this coming from?" I stammered.

"You're always staring off into the distance," Maki bluntly replied, "always in your own little world. It's not all that hard to deduce what, or rather  _who_ , you're thinking about. That's why I referred you to Abe-san."

"Maki...I appreciate it but you know it's not that easy," I said solemnly, "I'm still a long way off acceptance."

"And so you should be," she concurred, "it's only been six months. But can you do something other than gloss over your case notes? Just for one night? Watch a movie or something, I dunno."

"Alright, I'll try," I nodded, "I'll do it for you."

"Uh-uh, do it for yourself," Maki pointed, "I'll catch you later, Shuichi. Take care of yourself."

With that, Maki left me to my own devices. I saw myself into my apartment and threw myself onto the couch. I switched on the TV and loaded up a streaming service.

"Why do all the shows  _still_ have to do with Danganronpa?" I sighed to myself. The influence of the killing game had long since faded, but it seemed the team behind it were still clinging onto  _anything_ to keep themselves relevant. They were a dying flame, a faltering ember. Out of curiosity I flipped through the menus.

"This is so vapid and cynical..." I mumbled, scanning the thumbnails of shows featuring likenesses of past characters, "Mondo Owada's Motocross Challenge...Learn to Code with Fujisaki-chan...Chiaki Nanami in Cyberworld...these all look horrible."

About two minutes later I switched off the TV and threw myself back into my case notes. I know Maki told me not to, but it really was the most reliable thing I had to take my mind off the pain. The excruciating pain...

Once again I could see Akamatsu-san's warm, supportive smile cross into my mind. The thought was bittersweet, of course. I don't think it was by chance we woke up in the same room, way back in the killing game. It was deliberate. But even if we hadn't...I think I would've found myself being drawn to her anyway. Her infectious optimism was a bit too much for some of the other classmates. For me, though, she was a tonic for an addled mind.

It's already been six months since then. Sometimes I think about what she could be doing right now were she alive. Wishful thinking, I know, but I'm sure stranger things have happened all across the globe. I wasn't about to fill myself with false hope, though; I'd already passed through the denial stage.

As a detective, I had to remain a man of reason and logic. I had to be the barrier that gated fiction from the truth. Yet as I would soon find out, the real truth was often much stranger than fiction...for better, and for worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was a tricky one to write for me. I wanted to adopt a somewhat realistic portrayal of Shuichi coping after the dust has settled, and not just turn him into a crying mess. Hopefully that's what I've managed to do!


	10. Hope in a Hopeless World

"Good afternoon, Yumeno-san. I wasn't expecting a call from you. How are you doing?"

_"Hello Harukawa-san! I'm a little sleepy from all the travelling I've been doing, but I've never been better, really! How about you?"_

"Oh, I'm coping. I think out of the three of us, my life has been the most mundane so far. But...it's nice. I think I like the uneventful."

_"How about Saihara-kun?"_

"He's...Shuichi, alright."

_"Is he still..."_

"Yeah. I really dunno what to do with him."

_"Oh?"_

"He's not overly depressed. He can handle daily life just fine, and his work keeps him occupied. But since we escaped, I barely ever see him smile."

_"So, he's not particularly sad...but not particularly happy, either?"_

"He just functioning. Every day is like an assembly line for him. I'm starting to really worry for him."

_"Harukawa-san? Worried about someone? Pfff..."_

"Do you want me to kill you?"

_"Nyeh! A-anyway...does he, you know...think about her?"_

"He doesn't like admitting it, but yes. She's always on his mind. You can tell by this far-off look he's always got."

_"Nyeeeh...I would totally cast a happiness spell on him, but my magic only works in a 2 metre radius..."_

"He just needs time. That's what I keep telling myself, anyway. Six months isn't all that long in the grand scheme of things."

_"I'm sure he'll be fine, eventually. I miss Tenko and Angie a whole lot...but I think they'd be mad at me if I was still tearing myself apart."_

"Well, Shuichi's not quite tearing himself apart. Not yet, anyway..."

_"What do you mean? You think it'll get that bad?"_

"I dunno. I'm worried, though. He's been like this ever since we got out. I don't want to think like this, but...what if his behaviour is like a time bomb? Any day now he could just break and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it!"

_"Harukawa-san! Please...calm down! Thinking like that isn't like you at all!"_

"I-I know. I'm sorry. *sigh* I want to do everything in my power to help him. He deserves better than this..."

_"You're his best friend, Harukawa-san. If anyone can make him feel better, it's you!"_

 "I can set him straight, sure, but I dunno how to make him genuinely happy."

_"Well...I'm not really great for advice, but I'll try to call more regularly, okay?"_

"I'd appreciate that, Yumeno-san. I have to go now. I just arrived at Shuichi's office. I'm helping him run the place today."

_"Okay. Please take care, Harukawa-san. And take care of Saihara-kun, too!"_

"I'll try. Goodbye, Yumeno-san."

* * *

"Morning, Shuichi," Maki smiled as she opened the agency's front door.

"Maki...good morning," I replied, "what's...in the bag?"

"Oh, these? I brought some snacks."

"Snacks? Thanks, Maki, but you really didn't have to."

"Quiet. I'm tired of seeing you eat the same flavour of cup noodles every day. And they're not all for you. I bought some snacks for me, as well."

Maki unpacked the snacks out onto the office table. There were all kinds of chocolates and sweets, sodas, too.

"You've seriously developed a softer side since we escaped, you know?" I said casually.

"Don't get used to it," Maki glared at me with her crimson-hued eyes, "you need to do yourself some favours, too."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused. "I'm working, aren't I? I get by."

Maki just sighed. I know she was frustrated with me, but what was I supposed to do?

"Yeah. Getting by," she finally said, without looking back at me, "that's all you're doing."

"Maki..."

"You're wasting away! I haven't once seen you happy since you escaped! All you've done is bury your head in your work and close yourself off from everything else. Ugh, it's a miracle I even got you to go to my therapist..."

Woah...where was this coming from? She was right, I haven't been particularly happy since leaving the academy. But...was I really that bad? I thought the best thing for me to do was to occupy myself with what I knew best. My own happiness didn't really matter to me. It was barely a factor. I met all my basic requirements every day. I ate, worked and slept. That was enough for me.

"I feel fine. Honestly," I tried. Maki was having none of it, though.

"Have you looked in the mirror today?" she asked sternly. "You look awful. You stayed up all night glossing over your case notes again, didn't you?"

"I...well..."

"Answer me. Truthfully."

"I did. Yeah. But...why does it matter to you so much?"

"Because that's no way to live!"

"I know. I know. It's probably not what Kaede would've wanted..."

"Ugh...will you please shut up about her?!"

"Wha--"

Maki's vicious response took me aback. She looked furious.

"Kaede this, Akamatsu-san that..." she complained, "she isn't coming back! Forget about her! Why do you care so much about someone you only knew for a day and a half?!"

I just sat there, looking down at my desk. I would never admit it, but Maki was obviously right. There was no bringing back the dead. But it was no ordinary death. Kaede didn't die of natural causes. She didn't die happy.

"Put yourself in my shoes, Maki," I muttered.

"What?" she snapped back.

"Back at that first class trial. Just put yourself in my position for one second. Imagine being thrust into the direst of situations, with the one person who had been nothing but kind of supportive with you every step of the way. Imagine meeting someone who even just for a moment...made you think that everything would be okay. Even in the worst possible scenario."

Maki remained silent, her expression gradually easing in intensity. I continued.

"The last time I made eye contact with Akamatsu-san, she was being pulled away by her neck, like a dog on a leash. Only to be slaughtered right in front of us. How could one forget something so...so horrifying? That whole scene is on a constant loop in my head, Maki. Not because I'm a glutton for punishment. Not because I  _want_ to be miserable. But because the killing game wanted me to be that way. At least back there, I had others to support me, and investigations to focus on. Now I have nothing. Nothing but the awful memories of that place. And when those are the only genuine memories you've ever had...then yeah, you're damn right I'm wasting away."

Maki looked away. "I understand," she resigned. "It's just...it's not healthy, being so fixated on it all the time..."

"Did you listen to a word I just said?" I asked, frustrated. "There's so much more I could've done to change the outcome of that trial. I don't know why I was so fixated on her being the culprit."

"It's because she guided you down that path," Maki offered.

"I know that! It's just...when you think about it, there was such a tiny probability of her plan actually working, yet we all leapt to vote for her anyway. Kaede gave me the sword...but I'm the one who ran it through her."

I felt a sudden, sharp pain lash across my face. Maki was in front of me, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

"Don't  _ever_ blame yourself for her death!" she panted. "You hear me?! None of this was our fault! Get some fucking perspective, will you?! The fault lies with the killing game...not you, not us!"

I was too shocked to even look at her, but she had every right to scold me. I was being irrational.

"I'm sorry, Maki. You're completely right. I am hopeless," I sighed, before rising from my chair. "I'm gonna go take a walk. Clear my head a little."

"Let me come with you," she replied.

"No, it's okay. I need to be alone, just for a little while."

"Okay, fine...just don't do anything stupid."

"I won't, I promise. See you soon."

* * *

With that, I left the office, ruffling my hair and putting my face mask on so I wasn't immediately recognisable. I didn't mind my identity if it had to do with my job. But if it wasn't work related I preferred keeping a low profile. Especially with the state my mind was in.

As I walked down the street, I noticed a couple holding hands, walking in the opposite direction to me. They looked extremely happy, and I was happy for them. But it was a bittersweet feeling. Given everything that had happened, I don't think I could ever be happy like that. I sighed deeply and moved on. I came outside to clear my head, not to get obsessed with the affairs of others.

After walking around for an hour or so, I found myself strolling through a nearby man-made park. I'd never been here before, and though it was artificial, it was quite lovely. The centrepiece of the park was a huge lake, with several viewing platforms dotted around the edges. I made my way to one of these platforms, resting my arms against the railing separating terra firma from the water.

"Nice place, isn't it?"

A voice called out to me from nearby. I turned, and to my surprise, it was someone quite welcome indeed.

"Oh, Abe-san! What a coincidence, seeing you here!"

"This is one of my favourite spots in the city, you know," he smiled, adjusting his glasses, "it's not a natural park, but it goes to show the beauty humans can be capable of, when they put their minds to it. Don't you agree, Shuichi?"

"Y-yes, I suppose so."

I have to admit, it was a spectacle. If I didn't have to get back to the office, I probably could've stood here for hours, just taking it all in.

"Hey, I'm not really supposed to talk with my clients outside of appointments, but what the hell. How are you feeling today?"

"Well, I'll be honest, Abe-san," I started, "I wasn't feeling so great earlier. I got into a bit of a fight with my friend. She's my best friend, actually. But, it got a little heated and I just needed some air."

"I see. Well, this definitely is the place to clear your mind. I hope you can patch things up with her when you get back."

"I will. She's a remarkable person, Abe-san. She only wants the best for me. I can just be a little resistant at times."

"That's understandable," he nodded, "given everything you've both been through? That's no easy thing to put behind you."

"No kidding."

"Listen, Shuichi, I was just passing through, so I'll be on my way," Abe-san said, "but yourself and Maki. I think you both need each other right now. Maki has been fairly good at coping since the escape, but she isn't invincible."

"You're right, Abe-san. I won't be so quick to dismiss her in future. Thank you for your advice," I nodded.

We said our goodbyes, and Abe-san carried on.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to absorb the sounds around me. It was all incredibly relaxing. And that's when I had something of an epiphany. Maki had been correct. I fell into the trap of growing more and more dependant on my old self. My killing game self. That  _is_ the person I was today, but I hadn't made any attempt at coming out of that shell. I was still mourning the loss of my friends, but I wasn't doing so in a productive way. Instead I'd been beating myself up over them, insisting there was more that  _I_ could've done to save them. While that may or may not have been true, I had to play with the cards I'd been dealt. And in my mind, a new card had been handed to me. An ace up my sleeve, so to speak. With this new momentum, I briskly walked back to the office.

Maki was still here. I found her watering the plants outside the office.

"Good evening, Maki," I smiled.

"Good ev--woah. What happened to you?" Maki was understandably taken aback by my smile. It was a rare occurrence, for sure.

"Nothing, really," I responded, "I just want you to know that I'm fine. And...if it's okay with you, I'd like to eat a lot of those snacks now."

"S-sure, go right ahead."

Maki followed me inside the office, a look of bewilderment etched onto her face.

"Maki, I gave some thought into what you were saying earlier," I said, "you were harsh, but you had every right to be. And...I'm glad you gave me the kick I needed."

"Oh? So, what's on your mind?" she asked, still puzzled.

"I've decided to expand my efforts here, at the Saihara Detective Agency. I'm gonna put more effort into making this place grow. First of all, I want to hire an assistant."

"W-wait...really? You? An assistant? Did you get hit your head, Shuichi? Do you need to lie down? What's come over--"

"Maki, really, I'm fine. Let me try this," I insisted, "let me try...something different. Just this once."

Maki looked hesitant, but moments later, she grinned and nodded. "Okay. If you think it'll help, then I won't stop you."

* * *

Maki and I made some flyers about our opening for an assistant. We'd posted them at bus stops, bulletin boards, libraries...anywhere that would accept them, basically. A few days had past since then, and we hadn't heard back from anyone. I was getting a tad anxious. It could be that we didn't print off enough flyers...or perhaps people knew who we were and were just intimidated. Or didn't want anything to do with us.

"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," I sighed after sipping my coffee.

"Shuichi, it's not like we're the biggest company in Japan. We don't have that much of a reach, so don't flatter yourself," Maki quipped.

"F-flatter...myself?" I stammered.

"I'm kidding," she smiled, "I'm sure we'll get an applicant or two eventually. Just give it time."

About another hour past and, to my surprise and delight, someone came into the office.

"H-hello?" the person was a young girl, about our age actually. "I-is this the right place?"

The girl had short brown hair and murky green eyes, and she wore jeans and a simple white hooded jacket.

"What the fuck?" Maki suddenly blurted out.

"Huh? Maki? What's gotten into you?" I asked. "That's no way to talk to a guest."

"S-sorry..." the girl moaned, "this is...the right place, isn't it? The detective agency?"

"Um, hello there!" I greeted the girl. "Are you by any chance here to ask about our assistant position?"

The girl made eye contact with me, and stepped back. She looked a little shocked momentarily, though she quickly regained her composure. Was I...really that intimidating?

"U-uhh, yeah! That's right!" the girl chuckled nervously. "Is the position...still going?"

"Y-yeah, it is! Would you like to step through for an interview?"

"Sure! I-I'm a little nervous, but I'll try my best!" the girl smiled, wiping sweat from her brow.

I guided the girl into the spare room we had at the back of the office. Okay, it was the kitchen, but "spare room" sounded a little more professional for a job interview at least. I turned to Maki one last time. She was staring back at me. Why did she look like she'd seen a ghost? I looked away and turned back to the other girl.

"Would you like some tea? Or coffee?" I asked.

"Oh yes. Tea, please! I would appreciate that!" she stammered, clearly still nervous about something.

Still, I prepared the tea and laid it out on the kitchen table. I poured them out, and handed a cup over to our interviewee.

"So before we get started, may I ask your name?" I asked the girl, taking a sip from my tea.

The girl took a deep breath. She looked to have a range of emotions right now, ranging from excitement to nervousness. Nevertheless, she summed up the courage to speak, and the interview process began.

"O-of course!" the girl responded. "It's Naegi. Komaru Naegi! It's very nice to meet you!"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naegi-chan?! What are you doing here?! Hasn't it been 53 years? Let's dial it back a few steps in the next chapter, eh? :)


	11. A Mechanical Wish

**PERSPECTIVE: KAEDE AKAMATSU**

_**THREE MONTHS PRIOR** _

I'd been in the hospital so long that I had almost completely lost track of time. It had been a little over three months since I was admitted here. I was well on my way to making a full recovery. My injuries had been given the proper time to heal, and I felt like I could finally move around on my own again. Even still, it was a bittersweet feeling. I felt like I was missing out on life being stuck in here all the time, yet I knew it was necessary. Without this treatment, I probably would've passed away a long time ago.

The moment I felt like time was passing me by was only last week, actually. It was the last week of March, meaning I'd celebrated my birthday! It wasn't much of a birthday, but Asuka showed up with her girlfriend and brought a huge cake! But, now that I was eighteen, I was desperate to get back outside and live my life again. New year, new me. Literally, in that latter case.

"Kaede, I have some news for you!" my cheery nurse, Taniguchi-san, smiled as she entered my room. She was a sweet, middle-aged woman who always managed to make me feel better.

"Oh? What is it, Taniguchi-san?" I asked eagerly.

Taniguchi-san sat down next to my bed. She was holding a clipboard packed with notes and medical documentation.

"So, myself and the others doctors have been reviewing your condition recently," she began, "and we've allowed ourselves to expand your options going forward!"

Finally! After three long months, this is what I so desperately needed to hear!

"O-oh! So, you mean, I'm free to go? I'm recovered?!" I shouted excitedly. If it weren't for the fact I was in a bed, I'd be hard pressed to not be jumping up and down with joy right now.

Taniguchi-san nodded. "That is...one of the options we've cleared for you, yes."

"One of the options?" I cocked my head in bewilderment. "It isn't the  _only_ option?"

Taniguchi-san sighed deeply, like she was nervous for what she was about to say. "We have a couple of extended treatments we'd like to apply. One is a transfer to the psychiatric ward. The other is more...experimental."

"W-what? Where is this coming from? I feel fine..."

The nurse shook her head. "Physically, you've come a long way. In fact if that were the only issue we'd clear you in full confidence."

"So...what is the problem?"

"It isn't really for me to say, but regardless we're strongly recommending you for the psychiatric ward."

Of course. I knew what the problem was, I was just feigning ignorance. Every night, I tried  _everything_ to avoid going to sleep. Because every time I did, I would suffer through the same nightmare I had back at the facility. Except each time it happened, it was longer and more explicit in detail. My demonic looking corpse had grown to be something of a conscience all its own. Its chilling expression slowly etching itself into my brain, leaving a permanent mental scar. I very rarely managed to get a decent night's sleep in this hospital, instead opting to stay awake, watching movies until I passed out. It wasn't healthy of course, but I would do anything to avoid reliving that nightmare, even if it cost me my sanity.

"What's the second treatment?" I asked sheepishly.

"Excuse me?" Taniguchi-san responded.

"The experimental one."

"My superiors opted to let you know only if you accept the transfer to the psychiatric ward."

"Wait...that's blackmail!" I yelled, losing my patience. "Am I being blackmailed by a  _hospital_ right now?!"

"Kaede, please calm yourself!" Taniguchi-san begged. "Your heart rate is rising!"

"Like I give a damn!" I shouted, not admitting it was getting a little harder to breathe, "I'm tired of this! A quarter of a year confined to a bed, and now you just want to put me in a different bed! This sucks!"

"Actually, this treatment will be a little different..." a voice I didn't recognise made its way into my room. "Kaede Akamatsu, I presume?"

* * *

 

The voice belonged to an older gentleman. He was dressed smartly, bearing a full head of silver hair and a well kept beard. The man adjusted his glasses and smiled at me, before adjusting his tie, presumably waiting for me to say something.

"Uh, yes," I nodded, "that's me. I'm Kaede Akamatsu."

"I'll take my leave now, doctor," Taniguchi-san left the room, leaving me with this strange but rather handsome gentleman. He took the seat that Taniguchi had just vacated.

"M-may I ask who you are?" I stammered. This had been a really bizarre morning.

"Of course, I'm sorry if my sudden and strange appearance startled you," he replied in a calming voice. "I'm Idabashi. Professor Idabashi. Yes, that will suffice for now."

"Idabashi..."

"You probably haven't heard of me," he continued, "but you'll surely be familiar with one of my creations."

I looked at his, puzzled. "Uhh, which creation would that be? Do you mean this DVD player? Because I've gotten a lot of use out of that."

"No!" he laughed. "I'm not talking about a  _something,_ more of a  _someone._ "

I was rattling my brain as to what, or whom, Idabashi could be talking about. A creation that was a  _someone..._ oh! Could it be...

"In the killing game, I knew this funny eccentric robot. We called him Kiibo!"

"Yep! That's him," Idabashi laughed. A bittersweet expression washed over his face.

Even though the doctors didn't recommend it, I kept tabs on the killing game from my hospital bed. It was indeed televised, and every gory detail was broadcast to the public. Interestingly, much of the game was shown from Kiibo's point of view, which made sense when Shirogane revealed his purpose: to be the audience surrogate.

Speaking of Shirogane, she had indeed been the mastermind the whole time. I wasn't shocked, but I did find myself angered and saddened by the revelation. I had hoped Keisuke was lying, but it had in fact been her the entire time. And when she revealed I'd been framed for Amami's death...well, I already knew that, but her confirmation cemented it.

It was a confirmation that understandably enraged me. Apparently, sending the wrong person to be executed wasn't a common occurrence. I'd read a few opinion pieces recently that blamed Danganronpa's downfall on this particular incident, as well as Shirogane's own amateurish approach to being a mastermind. That said, I'm not sure how much credit I should be taking for derailing the killing game for good. Shuichi and the others managed that and then some.

"Idabashi-san, I've been thinking about Kiibo," I admiited, "most of us in the game were human, and could easily have our memories replaced. But, Kiibo was a robot..."

"You're asking how they managed to brainwash him, am I right?" Idabashi asked bluntly.

I simply nodded. "Yes."

"They didn't. Obviously Kiibo doesn't really have a brain. But he can be reprogrammed, and that's what they ended up doing."

I wasn't a computer whiz or anything, but I knew enough about them to know what Idabashi was getting it. He continued to explain that himself and Kiibo were forcibly taken from his lab by Team Danganronpa. As it turned out, the show had been on the decline for the past few years. For season 53, they'd barely managed to get fifteen applicants willing to participate, and I assumed I had to be crazy enough to be one of them...

Kiibo was their sixteenth, and Idabashi was forced to reprogram him into a killing game participant. As an act of protest, however, Idabashi did not erase Kiibo's memories of his origin. In fact, he made several backups of this data and stored them in Kiibo's memory with remarkably secure encryption.

* * *

 

Idabashi had done contract work for the company in the past. "The flashback light was my own patent," he explained. "They identify common patterns in a person's brainwaves. Things a person thinks about often; their childhood memories, most embarrassing, darkest or happiest moments. Even their families, friends, relationships and what school they attend. By isolating those patterns, they can be erased and adjusted quite easily. But it's not a complete overhaul, as Team Danganronpa would have you believe. The flashback lights can't alter senses, so a person's likes or dislikes in this regard remain the same. What they like to eat, for example, or things that scare them."

"Huh...so I guess no matter what, I've always been afraid of bicycles?" I pondered.

"Uh, sure..." Idabashi looked slightly puzzled. "Pardon me but...that's what you're gleaning from all this?"

"Oh! No no, I'm sorry, Idabashi-san. My mind takes me to some strange places. Please forgive me!"

"I-it's okay," Idabashi waved his hands, "anyway, that's the truth behind the flashback lights. I was forced to develop them, and Kiibo was their insurance. And now he's gone..."

Idabashi sighed.

"Idabashi-san," I finally said, "are you proud of Kiibo?"

A slight smile appeared on his face. "Am I proud of him for being instrumental in derailing a terrorist organisation half a century in the making? You're damn right I'm proud of him. Hell, the only way his old man could be happier is if he walked back into my lab tomorrow."

"Ah, that's so sweet," I grinned, "I'll miss Kiibo, but I'm glad his actions have given you solace."

"Well, he isn't completely gone," Idabashi shook his head, adjusting his chair to be closer to my bed.

"What do you mean, Idabashi-san?" I cocked my head in confusion.

"I think it's about time I address the reason I'm here, Miss Akamatsu."

I stared at him in bewilderment. He adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. Looks like he was preparing for another round of exposition.

"The site of the killing game has long since been abandoned by its staff. It's a shell now, left to waste away. As such, urban explorers have been having a field day with the place, uncovering all sorts of objects and technology they left behind."

I nodded along, intrigued as to where this was going.

"One such explorer paid a visit to my lab just the other day. The guy wasn't much for words. He left what he'd found at my workstation. Said he'd found it at the ruins of the academy. Then he just up and left. I didn't even get a chance to ask if he wanted some tea."

"So...what was it that he left?" I asked, latching onto Idabashi's every word.

"It was...a piece of Kiibo's body. I would've paid any amount to have it back in my possession. Not just because of the tech, but for the sentimental value, too. But the guy left it with me and barely said a word. No strings, no catch."

"And what part of him was it?" I asked, happy that Kiibo hadn't been completely obliterated. "Was it his head?"

Idabashi shook his head. "It was his arm, almost fully intact."

"Hmm," I tapped my chin, "that doesn't seem like it would be much use, though."

"To be more specific, Miss Akamatsu," Idabashi looked me in the eye, narrowing his gaze, "it was his left arm."

Finally, the penny dropped for me. My eyes widened. Surely he wasn't planning what I thought he was.

"S-surely you're not suggesting--"

"My entire goal as a roboticist is to improve the lives of our society with robots and technology. I believe I can once again achieve that goal now that Team Danganronpa is out of the picture. At least in some small way. Do you want to know how I knew you were here?"

I nodded eagerly. It didn't really seem all that strange that he knew who I was, but knowing I was being treated specifically at this hospital was odd.

"Honestly, it's a lot simpler than you might think," he admitted, "I'm actually on this hospital's payroll. Every week I'm sent a list of patients that may need my help. Be it amputees like yourself, or people who need a little mental stability...also like yourself."

"So I take it you saw my name, huh..."

"Look, I know you want to get out of here," Idabashi resigned, "but would you hear me out? I think we can both benefit from a deal here."

While I felt a little like I was being used for some ulterior motive, I did decide to hear him out. I didn't have much to lose, yet admittedly quite a lot to gain. Idabashi's proposal was simple: another two months in hospital for psychiatric treatment, and he'll affix Kiibo's arm to me as a prosthetic. He said he would of course refine the arm to best fit me, and to complement my ultimate talent. Yet I had a feeling something else was factoring into Idabashi's proposal.

"This isn't just about me, is it, Idabashi-san?" I inquired.

"It's not," he admitted, "it's also my way of honouring Kiibo. I feel like if he can be of use to someone, somewhere, then he'll live on in some capacity. Kiibo always wanted to be accepted within human society. He wanted to both prosper among us and help advance the species in some way. Miss Akamatsu, will you fulfil Kiibo's wish?"

Idabashi-san was right. It did seem like a win-win situation for all involved. He would be at ease knowing Kiibo was still helping someone. And I would have my arm back, technically. I took a deep breath. It was a lot to take in. Idabashi-san was nice, but I wasn't 100% ready to fully trust him. Saying that, Kiibo had been a good friend, though our friendship was fleeting. I remembered that I wasn't just doing this for Idabashi-san, but for Kiibo, too. I needed an arm, that much was true. And Kiibo needed his wish fulfilling. Just as I'd passed the baton to Saihara-kun, now Kiibo and Idabashi-san were passing theirs to me.

"I accept your proposal, Idabashi-san," I nodded and smiled.

I didn't like the idea of undergoing two more months of therapy, but I knew it would be worth it in the end.

Soon, Saihara-kun. Soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was pretty laden with exposition, and I'm sorry about that! There will be a lot more going on in the next few chapters, so I apologise that this one was a bit slower and perhaps less interesting. There were some things I needed to establish first. Anyway, I hope you still enjoyed it!


	12. Old Haunts

Well, today was the day. I was about to begin my therapy in earnest. I still wasn't fully comfortable with the idea, though. Partly because I just wanted to leave the hospital already of course. But also because...well, I was a little afraid of the extent of the damage to my mental state, as well as all the possible disorders I could be diagnosed with. I'd certainly tried to put all the trauma into the back of my mind - that's just how I was wired - but now that I had a lot of time alone, I couldn't help but let all that negativity seep and fester into the forefront of my thoughts. It was agony.

I found myself stirred awake at around 3am. I stared drearily at the ceiling of my ward. It was for sure the same room I'd been in these last few months...but something felt off. The atmosphere had ever so slightly changed. I felt cold. Something wasn't right here.

I sat up and looked around. The lights were switched off, all except for the hallway light, which was eerily flickering. I thought nothing of it; the hallway light was on pretty much 24/7. The bulb probably just needed changing. As soon as I looked away from the hall, though, something darted past in my peripheral vision. I didn't get a good look at what it was beyond a blur of colour and motion. Even more alarming, whatever - or whoever - it was, had left behind a copious trail of blood.

_It's okay, Kaede,_ I thought to myself. Trying and failing to stop myself from freaking out.  _It's likely just a patient. A patient who's on the run. And bleeding. With seemingly no one interested in catching them._

I tried closing my eyes - closed them so tight they may as well have been stapled shut. But slowly they forced themselves back open. I couldn't even blink anymore. Next, I slowly felt myself rise out of bed. I didn't even take the time to move the sheets - they simply rolled off me and cascaded to the floor. I didn't have control over my body. My feet shuffled themselves toward the corridor. Like a zombie, there was no human rhythm to my footsteps. I stumbled through the doorway and out into the flickering hallway. It was all I could do to grasp the doorframe and stop myself from lurching over.

As I regained composure, I turned my head in the direction of where the blurry figure had headed. I felt dizzy. The completely linear, rectangular corridor swayed left to right in my vision, as if I was on a ship in troubled waters. As my feet continued to shuffle down the corridor I could hear a dull pounding in my head. A droning noise of sorts - a low pitched, unnatural moan. I uneasily approached a single door at the end of the corridor. The door was shut, and would've seemed completely unassuming...if it weren't for the trail of blood leading up to it.

Had I any sort of control over my body, this is where I'd call for help, or do  _anything_ besides continue to approach the door. But my body evidently had other plans, wholly separate from my mind. The dull, rapid beating of my heart married itself to the low pitched droning, which only got louder as I grew closer to the door. "What the hell is going on?!"

My arm reached out for the door knob. Shaking, I tried to resist. If I still had both arms I'm sure I would've tried to use the other, yet in my state, all I could do was hopelessly struggle against the tide. It was inevitable. My clammy hand clasped the doorknob. It was cold to the touch, but that was the last thing on my mind as I slowly opened the door...to see what was perhaps the most horrific sight I'd ever seen.

"Kaede! Nice of you to finally join us!"

Back in the facility, I'd had a nightmare. A nightmare wherein my own bloody corpse spoke to me, albeit very briefly before I woke up. Now, here she was again. Leaking from head to toe with blood. Her face was unmistakably my own. Her tattered, torn clothes were also what I had worn in that cursed academy. Quite alarmingly, thorns and spikes jutted deep into her skin, creating the wounds from which her blood poured out. Looking at her, I didn't know which was more terrifying. The paralysingly creepy grin she wore on her face, or the second subject that was in the room with us.

In front of my living corpse was a figure tied to a chair. A young adult male, about my age. She was holding a large kitchen knife to his neck as he quietly sobbed. As he looked up for a moment, I caught a glimpse of his tear-stricken eyes. There was no mistaking him. The man in the chair was the Ultimate Detective. It was my friend...Shuichi Saihara.

"S-S-Saihara-kun..." I stammered.

"Don't worry about him, Kaede," my corpse giggled. Her voice was almost identical mine, just a little raspier, like she was constantly gagging for air.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Saihara-kun repeated over and over. He wouldn't stop saying it.

"Shuichi's been a bad boy, Kaede," my corpse spoke.

"He-he hasn't done anything!!" I yelled back. "Let him go!"

My mirror self held the knife closer to his neck, resting the blade against his throat. "Scared, Saihara-kun? Good. You should be."

"Why are you doing this to him?!" I shouted. I demanded to know what was going on. This whole situation was more surreal than the killing game itself.

"Don't play coy, Kaede!" my corpse snapped. "You know what he did! You're seriously gonna let him get away with it?"

"With what?!"

"Sending me -  _us_ \- to our death, of course!"

"Wha--I mean, what else was he supposed to do?! Anyway, it was my choice! It was me who decided to put that plan in motion. It was me who attempted murder. Don't excuse my actions and don't you  _dare_ blame Saihara-kun for this!"

My corpse was silent, staring blankly for a few moments. Then she started giggling again, which soon morphed into a loud cackle. She dug the knife deeper into Shuichi's neck, a single trickle of blood escaping his vein.

"Listen to you..." she said menacingly, "acting like we're separate entities, or something."

"What?"

"There's a part of you that hates this man...that  _despises_ him for indicting you. Sure, it was our idea to go through with it...but don't pretend you're 100% okay with it."

"No," I clenched my fist. "I won't admit it. I won't admit it because it isn't true. Saihara-kun did nothing wrong."

"But neither did you, Kaede. You're really still okay with his actions? Now that you know the truth? Now that you know you're innocent? Of course not. I'm the proof of that."

"Wh-what are you talking about?!"

"I'm not leaving, Kaede," my corpse smiled grimly, "I'm not leaving until you accept me. Accept the part of you that hates Shuichi for not trying harder. The part of you that vilifies your classmates for being so eager to throw you to the wolves! Accept it! Accept me!!"

"Never..."

"Accept me, Kaede! You can't escape me. I  _am_ you!!"

"Never!!"

Growing more and more frustrated, the frightening apparition of myself started shaking. Her hand which held the knife started to slice against Saihara-kun's neck. His blood continued to spill as she became rapidly more deranged. I wanted desperately to leap to his side and smack the knife away. But some force was preventing me from even moving an inch. It was like my feet were cast in cement.

"What do you want from me..." I asked in a resigned tone. I was trying to come across as more calm. I had noticed the sudden severity of the wound on Saihara-kun's neck. Any further rash comments and she could kill him outright. This whole time, between weeping, he wouldn't stop repeating his apologetics.

"I'm sorry...Akamatsu-san...I'm so sorry..."

"All I'm asking..." the other Kaede spoke, "...is that you acknowledge me, and these thoughts you're so desperate to bury. Don't be so pathetic and lie to yourself about the situation."

Maybe she had a point. Maybe things could have gone differently had Saihara-kun pressed further. Back then, Amami-kun's corpse was the only evidence I needed to think my plan had succeeded. It never occurred to me, or Saihara-kun for that matter, that my plan could possibly fail. Even though the chances of it working were so slim...it was all we had to go on. So for that reason alone, I couldn't blame him for any of this.

"So fucking stubborn..." she sighed.

"What?"

"Don't think I don't know what you're thinking," she said, "is that your final stance on the matter?"

I took a deep breath. Yes, this was the reality I wanted to accept. Someone had to die back there, and though I did end up surviving, at the time I was simply the most likely candidate to be the blackened.

"I see. Then I'm afraid he's dead to me."

"Wait wha--"

In a single heartbeat, the other Kaede sank the knife into Saihara-kun's neck and slashed outward. My sight immediately dimmed, but then there was light again.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a smaller chapter this time. I hope nobody minds! Next one will be back to the usual length most likely :)


	13. Freedom

"Kaede! Shit, are you okay?!"

I shot awake to see Asuka leaning over me, her hands firmly placed on my shoulders. I could feel the cold sweat cascading down my face. I wasn't out of breath particularly, but still found myself gasping for air, like I'd been held underwater against my will.

"S-sorry," I just about managed to say, "bad nightmare. I'm okay."

"Oh, damn..." Asuka replied worriedly, "do you...wanna talk about it?"

I firmly shook my head, wiping my brow almost obsessively. "Do I look like I wanna talk about it?"

"Woah. That bad?"

I squinted my eyes and nodded. 'Bad' didn't nearly begin to do it justice. If the price of surviving meant I had to deal with hideous visions like that, then I wasn't sure I even wanted to still be alive. Everything about that vivid nightmare was borne of pure anguish. I had to keep reminding myself it wasn't real. Saihara-kun...is doing fine. It's all just in my head.

"I'm sorry," Asuka shook her head, "I'll change the subject. You start your therapy today, right?"

"Y-yeah, that's right," I tried a smile. "It's gonna be strenuous, but it'll be worth it."

I by no means considered myself a squeamish person. But seeing those you love, as well as your own self, going through so much physical torment is definitely something that changes you. In a way, I considered myself lucky for being removed from the killing game when I was. As confident as I was in myself, I'm not sure I could say the same had I lasted longer. If Shirogane had been outed during that trial...what really would have changed for me? Not that I  _wanted_ to make my friends watch me 'die,' exactly. But if I  _did_ last longer, I would still be the most suspicious person of the group - the stain of attempted murder would never have washed away.

Furthermore, only Saihara-kun, Harukawa-san and Yumeno-san had made it out. Were they the same people now as they were at the start? I was sure that they weren't, not by a long shot...for better or worse. Not to mention they were the  _only_ three to make it out. I can't say in confidence that my wish had its intended effect when only three of them lived to tell the tale. Still, I'd obviously take three over zero. And...there was always Saihara-kun.

My therapy began in earnest, and it was handled in shifts. In the morning until noon, I had various counselling sessions. Most of it was learning how to deal with mental and physical trauma, including numerous exercises of how to keep myself occupied in a more positive mindset. It did help, to an extent. I felt like I could be more outgoing, and I could slowly but surely feel myself returning to...well, myself! Of course, the memories never really go away, and some days were harder to deal with than others. But overall, my extensive sessions certainly did more good than bad. Watching the killing game live, as it played out, definitely didn't do my mental state any favours, though. Still, I felt like I owed it to Saihara-kun...to be there and watch over him in spirit.

After the morning sessions and lunchtime, I was transferred to Idabashi's lab to have Kiibo's arm fitted. It was a longer process than I thought it would be, taking up most of the two months I'd spent in counselling. Idabashi insisted he had to get the specifications just right. The arm had to be almost completely refurbished; I even wondered how much of Kiibo was still left in there, after all was said and done. What struck me most about my sessions with Idabashi were just how candid they ended up being. Particularly the first...

* * *

"Akamatsu-san! Welcome to my lab!" Idabashi practically greeted me with open arms when I first walked through his door.

"O-oh! Idabashi-san!" I said, caught slightly off guard. "There's no need to be so formal with me!"

"Oh, nonsense!" he cheerily replied. "I have a lot of respect for the girl who gave Monokuma the middle finger,  _and_ lived to tell the tale!"

"I mean...I appreciate it but--it was hardly a middle finger," I stuttered, "don't forget I attempted murder..."

Idabashi sighed. "We can talk about the gray areas all day but we'd only be going round in circles. So don't stress too much about it. You're innocent. You're alive. Isn't that what matters?"

"Yeah. But that's just it. That's something I still can't wrap my head around. How am I alive, anyway?" I asked, apropos of nothing.

"What, you mean how did you survive  _that_ _?"_

I nodded, wincing slightly at the memories.

"Simple. They chose to use metal," he said curtly, rolling his eyes.

"Pardon me?"

"They used a metal noose." Idabashi started chuckling. "I still can't get over it. It actually amazes me how dumb that is."

"What are you...talking about?"

"Think about it, Akamatsu-san. Why would you ever use metal as material for a noose, when the whole purpose of a noose is to cause death by asphyxiation? If they'd used  _rope,_ like a smart person would have, then you and I wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

"Yeah, but, what about the thorns?"

"Thorns?"

"Yeah, you know, the ones in the piano lid that closed down on me? Maybe the noose wasn't meant to kill me, but those thorns were. And yet, they didn't."

"Then I think you just answered your own question."

I let out a wry sliver of a laugh. "I suppose you're right."

There had been that email I read in the facility, which already explaining everything wrong with the execution setup. Yet even with that, I still feel incredibly lucky to be alive. The odds must still have been so slim. But Idabashi-san was right. If I got too bogged down in the particulars, I don't think I'd ever be able to make a full recovery. And today, I was getting a new arm. Kiibo's arm, to be precise. I wondered how Idabashi-san would alter the design to fit me best.

"Like I said before," he spoke again, "you start getting hung up on the little details, you're only gonna drive yourself crazy. You're a hell of a lot luckier than most of those kids..."

"Yeah. I know."

Idabashi-san caught the tone before it could get any sourer. He quickly pivoted the subject onto how he was going to graft Kiibo's arm onto my body. I'd of course be put on anaesthetic, easing the procedure considerably for both him and myself. When he actually showed me what he'd done to the arm, I was admittedly a little taken aback. It no longer even slightly resembled something that belonged to Kiibo. In fact, it looked like something that had been perfectly fashioned for me...

"Idabashi-san..."

"What do you think, Akamatsu-san?"

I was...at a loss for words, honestly. The arm was slim enough that clothes could be worn over it. It bore a strikingly regal design. It was a brilliant white, emblazoned with piano notation that wound all the way down the arm, wrapping around the wrist section like a bracelet. The hand took on a more flesh like tone. I guess so it wouldn't draw too much attention to itself.

"It's...honestly it's beautiful...how long did--"

"About 48 hours. I'm an expert remember?" Idabashi gloated. "Not to put a damper on what it means to you, but it's really no trouble for me to whip up something like this. Given that I have the parts."

By parts, he naturally meant Kiibo. I couldn't be more thankful to either of them if I tried. Would I have preferred Kiibo to be alive? Of course! Yet in a way (and this is probably going to sound remarkably selfish) his sacrifice helped more than just Saihara-kun, Yumeno-san and Harukawa-san. Unknowingly, he's helped both me and his creator. So much so that I'd liked to think a part of Kiibo lived on through me. Both literally and figuratively.

* * *

"Oh my...Kaede, this is..."

Asuka was speechless. This was the first time I was showing off my prosthetic arm to anyone. And who better to debut it to than the one person who kept me sane when times were at their bleakest? I had Asuka to thank for a great deal of things. She helped me escape. She got me to a hospital. Hell, it should go without saying that she saved my life. Whether or not I deserved it...well, that was a dilemma for another time; a path I would walk by myself. But that could wait for another day.

It had been a few days since I'd been discharged from the hospital. As I suspected, I'd been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. I was willing to cut myself some slack on that front, though. It was perfectly understandable given what I'd gone through.

"Pretty cool, huh?" I smiled, referring to my new arm. "I can't claim full ownership, though. This belonged to Kiibo, after all."

"Woah, wait, the same Kiibo from--"

"Yeah. That Kiibo," I nodded quickly, eager to steer the conversation as far away from the killing game as humanly possible.

"Woah, cool!" Asuka replied with childlike cadence. "So what can it do?!"

"Huh?"

"Can you fire missiles now? What about lasers? Can you smash a wall down through brute strength?!"

"Woah, slow down! Kiibo wasn't built like that. Although he did get a combat upgrade..."

Right now I was hanging out with Asuka at her place. She'd been my rock. I really don't think I'd have made it this far without her. I probably would've given up a long time ago. But now at least, I had a future. And I had a plan moving forward.

"So, when are you gonna track down Saihara-chan?" Asuka smirked, poking me in the ribs.

"Soon as I can find a lead!" I replied, perhaps a bit too eagerly. "But...even when I know where he's living, I can't just walk in through the front door like:  _hey Saihara-kun, I'm not dead!"_

"You totally could do that," Asuka looked puzzled, "why could you not do that?"

I sighed.

"Because...both he and I have been on very different journeys up to this point. Not to mention he's hell bent on the truth..."

"What? But...the truth is that you're alive."

"I know. But to him and everyone else, it's not the truth. Not after what they saw. It was such a convincing facade that I don't think I could ever really reintroduce myself into his life."

"Are you sure you're not overthinking it? Just a little?"

"Maybe. Probably, yeah. But do you see where I'm coming from? I care about him a lot. I don't wanna just waltz in and give the poor guy a heart attack."

"So...what will you do instead?"

I didn't have an answer to that yet. I actually had no idea how I wanted to handle that situation. The whole thing made me a little nervous. I wanted to be able to see him again as Kaede, not as anyone else. Yet I felt reluctant to throw myself back into his life with reckless abandon. I would have to ease myself back into his life, somehow.

"Hey, Kaede," Asuka waved a hand in front of my face, interrupting my thoughts.

"S-sorry!"

"You uhh...you wanna watch a movie?"

"Oh! Sure! You have one in mind?"

"I have the perfect movie in mind!"

Asuka shot out of her seat in the bedroom and briskly skipped over to a shelf loaded with DVDs. She ran her finger across a few of the shelves, murmuring  _where is it_ to herself. Eventually she found what she was looking for. The box art of the movie perplexed me.

"Are you serious?" I asked, a little surprised.

"What? You  _don't_ wanna watch Monokuma getting his ass kicked?"

After taking a moment to process that thought, there was only one real response I could make. "Damn right," I smirked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally made it. I'm really sorry for the delay on this one guys. And I'm also sorry if this chapter feels rushed. I really just wanted to get Kaede out of the hospital and move on to more interesting parts going forward. There's a ton of events in future chapters that I'm honestly really excited to write and show you all, so I hope my delay hasn't scared many of you away! Thanks again for sticking with me this far, and I promise the next chapter won't take as long as this one.


	14. Lest We Forget

**PERSPECTIVE: SHUICHI SAIHARA**

I cleared my throat, and for the sake of formality I introduced myself once again to Komaru Naegi-san. Looking over Naegi-san's shoulder, I could see Maki staring at me through the office window. As we made eye contact, she rolled her eyes and walked outside. Just what was her problem? She'd been acting funny ever since Naegi-san walked through the door. I shrugged it off for now - didn't want to give Naegi-san the wrong impression.

"So, Naegi-san," I began, "I wanna start this interview with the same question I always open with. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure! I've prepared so...no problem!" she replied enthusiastically.

"Okay! Well, here goes," I cleared my throat once more, "are you after this job because of who I am?"

"H-huh?"

"I know it's a strange question, but I'd appreciate if you could answer honestly."

Naegi-san took a deep breath. "I...know who you are, obviously. I mean, I'd be surprised if  _anyone_ in Japan didn't know who you are, or what your legacy is. But genuinely? That's really not why I'm here. I just really need a job!"

"Is that so?"

"Y-yeah! I mean it! My life's been kinda hell recently, to be honest. I really just need something to take my mind off of things! And...well, this is an opportunity to try something new and interesting. It's not just, like, a cashier or a movie attendant. It's an assistant position to a detective! I just think that's kinda cool, y'know?"

"That's a very refreshing response, I'll admit," I nodded, "oh, and apologies if that was a somewhat narcissistic question. It's just a necessary part of my vetting process."

"No, it's alright! I understand."

Naegi-san was a promising candidate. She seemed like someone who'd be fun to be around. Bubbly, but not air headed. Smart, but not smugly so.

"Do you have any hobbies, Naegi-san?" I tried. I have to admit, the interview process had never gotten past the first question up to this point. She seemed to be a lot smarter than that, though.

"Hey, is this an interview or a first date?"

"Huh?! N-no, it's n-not--"

That...certainly took me by surprise. I felt a little warm. I hoped I wasn't blushing, although I probably was.

"Ha! Don't worry, Saihara-kun. I'm just breaking the ice," Naegi-san beamed, "if you don't mind me saying, you seem a little tense. Is everything okay?"

Ugh, how was  _I_ the one being interviewed right now? Naegi-san had easily turned the tables on me - I was floundering and needed to change the subject, quick.

"F-forgive me for saying, Naegi-san," I tried, "you're not exactly dressed for an interview. What's with the hooded jacket?"

"Oh! Yeah, sorry. I was in a rush this morning," Naegi-san admitted, "and...I don't actually have any interview clothes."

"Ah. I see," I responded, registering and trying to ease her embarrassment.

I'd managed to regain control of my own interview, at least. But, did she really not have any kind of formal wear? A girl her age should be about to break into a career or higher education. It did make me wonder what kind of a person Naegi-san really was.

"B-but, that's not what matters, right?!" she suddenly blurted out.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean...looking posh and formal is kind of overrated, right? Is that really what matters about someone? I think that...I think that showing you who I am - my personality, my quirks, strengths and flaws - isn't that more important than what I'm wearing?"

"Naegi-san..."

"Look, I don't mean it's okay to just, like, show up in my PJs or something. But I've yet to show you what I can personally bring to this role! If...if that isn't more important than the shirt on my back, then I don't really know what else to tell you. Th-that's just my take, anyway. I hope you can see where I'm coming from..."

Naegi-san suddenly got really fired up. It really took me aback, actually. Yet I think she was absolutely right. Her fire and determination really was showing through at this moment. I had a few more questions, but I had a pretty good feeling about her.

"I understand completely," I nodded, "don't worry, your clothes won't have any bearing on your performance. I come from a group of misfits myself, so I'm hardly one to judge."

"Y-yeah, thanks," Naegi-san smiled and nodded, "so, what's the next question, chief?"

"U-uhhh..."

Chief?! I appreciate that she just poured her heart into proving herself despite her appearance, but was she still aware she was at a job interview? I was losing control of the vehicle again, and I needed to desperately get back on the road. I closed my eyes...what  _was_ the next question? I had the interview process memorised in my head...or so I thought. Should I ask about her hobbies? No, too intimate. Does she have any pets? Come on, Shuichi. What relevance does that have? Family? That could be a touchy subject...

"Saihara-kun?"

"Gah!!"

"You looked like you were pretending to drive. Is everything okay?" Naegi-san asked, concerned.

"O-oh, sorry," I said, dejected and blushing, "force of habit. So, next question..."

Maki was back at the window, face palming at me something fierce. Just how long had she been watching?! I thought she was used to seeing the psyche taxi? Well, whatever.

"Sure. What is it?" Naegi-san snapped me back to reality.

"What skills can you specifically bring to the job?" Finally.  _That_ was the question I wanted to ask. And you were about to ask if she preferred budgerigars or parakeets, I thought to myself. Real inquisitive, detective.

What followed was Naegi-san eloquently listing all her skills, strengths and weaknesses...for just shy of one hour. It certainly was a struggle to take it all in - and if we're honest, I only caught highlights of her diatribe here and there. Still, that wasn't what mattered. Her passion was clearly showing. She was obviously genuine. I don't think she wanted to be here for the credibility. I believed that much in her.

"Well, it's about time to wrap up the interview," I finished, finding the best chance to dive in before Naegi-san could keep me for another hour, "I just have one last question, if that's okay?"

"Not a problem at all!" she smiled.

"When can you start?"

"H-huh?"

"I think you'd be a perfect fit here, Naegi-san. You're clearly passionate, and you strike me as a very real person. And that's...well, that's something I really need in my life right now. S-sorry! I don't wanna get all mushy on you, but it is the truth. Can you start tomorrow?"

"O-oh! For sure!!" she beamed. "You've made me so, so happy!"

"It's not a problem! Welcome aboard! See you tomorrow at 9am?"

"Yes. I'll be there! I won't disappoint you!"

* * *

The interview finally wrapped up, and I saw Naegi-san out of the office. She insisted she could walk herself home, so I left her to it. Walking back inside, I realised I still had one more challenge to overcome today. And it had arrived in the form of a very grumpy looking Maki Roll.

"You are one grumpy looking Maki Roll," I tried.

"You don't get to call me that," she snapped back, not even making eye contact with me.

"Sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood," I shrugged, "Maki, do you...do you have a problem with Naegi-san?"

"It's not a problem."

"Are you sure? You couldn't take your eyes off her the whole time she was here."

"It's just..." Maki sighed, "some things about her are...weirdly familiar. Her appearance, even her name. I swear I've seen her somewhere before."

"Really? It couldn't have been at the academy..." I wondered what Maki could be talking about. She couldn't possibly have seen Naegi-san before, right? Our earliest  _real_ memories only go as far back as when we woke up in the academy. If Maki noticed something similar about her, it must have been in the months since we escaped.

"I dunno...maybe I just saw her on the street or something. In passing, you know?"

"Yeah. Sure."

No. There was more to it than that. Maki was pretty suspicious of anyone at the best of times, but something about Naegi-san had obviously struck her. What that was exactly, I had no idea. I can't say it mattered to me much anyway; I was convinced Naegi-san was a genuine, honest and above all kind person. In fact, she reminded me a whole lot of...no, never mind. But that thought did suddenly remind me of something.

"Oh! It's that time of the week again," I remarked, "are you coming, Maki?"

"I don't really feel like it," she shook her head, "but say hi for me, okay?"

I nodded, grabbed my coat and left the office. Just a short train ride away was a place that had become quite special to me. If you looked at it from just a conceptual point of view, it would probably come across as quite a mockery. But because I had precious little else in my life, it was a place I needed very much. Located in a particularly tranquil acre of countryside, I'd arrived once more, as I had done each week since we escaped. Graveyard 53.

While not particularly large, Graveyard 53 was a collection of very impressive shrines to each of our killing game's deceased participants. A dozen of these shrines were lined up next to one another. The only one of us who didn't have one (besides myself, Maki and Yumeno-san, of course) was Kiibo. I guess they felt that a robot couldn't be mourned by a person, though I'd gotten to know Kiibo  _as_ a person, so I vociferously disagreed with that sentiment.

As always, I made sure to stop by each shrine, offering prayers of respect and making light small talk as I always did. I knew I wasn't really talking to anyone - the bodies were of course not actually buried here - but it gave me peace of mind all the same. I even made time for some of our more unsavoury classmates, like Shinguji-san, Ouma-san...even Shirogane-san, as ever painful as that was. Though none of that was as painful as my last stop in the routine. The shrine of the person that stood by me and gave me the encouragement to move forward. The person who gave her life so that some of us might live. The shrine of Akamatsu-san.

"Akamatsu-san, it's me again," I smiled, "the shrine is looking lovely as ever, despite the weather, huh?"

I looked directly into Akamatsu-san's portrait; the same they used during the class trials, except without the morbid cross covering her face. The portrait rested on a 93-key grand piano. The piano was off-limits, so I couldn't walk past the barrier and play a song, much as I'd like. But as impressive as the piano was, it obviously wasn't the reason I was here.

"I got to meet a really nice person today," I continued, "her name's Naegi. Komaru Naegi. She's around our age, and she seems like a great person. She's actually going to be working with me from tomorrow onward! I'm sure the three of us...would've been the best of friends. You'd really like her, Akamatsu-san. But don't worry. Having her around doesn't mean I won't make any less time for you. I'll always be here for you...Kaede."

Unfortunately, a storm was picking up and the rain started thrashing down. I'd left my umbrella in a rush to get here, so sadly I had to cut my visit short. Yet just as I'd said my goodbyes to Akamatsu-san, and I turned to leave, a familiar face stood in front of me.

"S-Saihara-kun? Is that you?"

"O-oh! Naegi-san!" I said in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I only learned about this place recently. It was on the way home, so I thought I'd check it out. It's...somewhat morbid, don't you think?"

I nodded. "It is, but...it's still a very special place for me. It's the only way I can keep in touch with my deceased friends, you know?"

"I understand. So I guess the shrine behind you is..."

"Yes. It belongs to Akamatsu-san."

"I see. I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay. It's not like you have anything to apologise for!" I hung my head a little, a sudden wave of sadness washed over me. "It just...it doesn't really get any easier."

"I understand," Naegi-san supported me, "I didn't watch the killing game but...I did hear how close you two were."

"Y-yeah...I suppose we were...I just wish I could've stopped her plan before--"

"Saihara-kun?"

"Yes? Ah!!"

Naegi-san had suddenly embraced me in a hug. It was a surprisingly tight hug at that, for a girl her size.

"Th-this isn't too akward, right?" she asked, stammering a little.

"N-no! Th-thank you, Naegi-san. I really appreciate your kindness."

She let go after a few more moments. I...did need that. Especially with how cold Maki had been over the last week. I felt a warmth from Naegi-san that I hadn't felt since Akamatsu-san held my hand. She, too, had tried to tell me everything would be okay.

"I'm not sure I can be as good a friend as Akamatsu-san," Naegi said, "but I hope I can be your friend as well as your colleague!"

"Yes, me too," I smiled.

Naegi-san and I said our goodbyes, and I left Graveyard 53. Tomorrow was going to be a new start. With Akamatsu-san's wish fulfilled, I'd felt empty for the longest time. I no longer had anything to fight for. I had no past, and no future. But tomorrow that was set to change. Myself, Naegi-san and (hopefully) Maki would work to make the Saihara Detective Agency a positive force in our lives, as well as the lives of those who needed our help. I was prepared. I was determined. And above all...I was ready.

* * *

**LOCATION UNDISCLOSED**

"So only three survivors, then. Not bad considering the brand is on its knees at this point."

"Four survivors, sir."

"Excuse me?"

"Four. Technically five, actually."

"Five?!"

"That's correct, sir."

"What do you think this is? A killing game or a fucking daycare center? We can't have anymore than three. If word got out we weren't doing our jobs properly then we'll never get the brand up and running again."

"Really? I disagree. Surely if people saw her in the flesh, they'd continue to think the executions are safe, so to speak."

"Did I ask for your opinion? No. I want her back here, as soon as possible. Piano  _is_ your mark, correct?"

"Weeeell, yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm keeping tabs on her. I know where she is, and I could make a move at any time. But Shirogane doesn't want me to kill her."

"Oh really? Do you think she still wants that? Why not scrape her off from under that rock to see what she says? I'm sure she's got a pretty strong opinion now that she's dead."

"Sir with all respect, please don't speak ill of--"

"Piano is the one that should be dead! How can you have let her go so easily?!"

"Believe me, sir, I was going to finish her off, but Shiro--"

"Shirogane is dead. She no longer has a say in this."

"I disagree sir, again, with respect."

"Find Piano and bring her here. I'll put her down myself."

"That won't be necessary. Oh, and you won't need me to find her, either, sir."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, really. It's just...I think you'll find she'll come here of her own volition..."

"Oh? Is that the right of it?"

"Yep. Pretty sure I won't have to lift a finger. She'll be here, and it'll be her decision. Not ours. You can count on that."

"Then I suppose I can put my trust in whatever you're planning, if you're so convinced. Heh...Kaede Akamatsu. What an interesting character you've become. If that's truly going to be your next move...then the game is certainly on."


	15. Graveyard 53

**PERSPECTIVE: KAEDE AKAMATSU**

Graveyard 53. I really didn't pick the best of days to visit this place. Not only was it borderline unfathomable to witness decorative shrines of my deceased classmates (myself included), but a thick fog was rolling in, only contributing to the eeriness of the place.

It was Asuka who told me where I could find this place. At first I thought she was joking - the idea of a graveyard dedicated to us seemed utterly ridiculous. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The killing game had been immensely popular; it seemed weirdly logical that a place like this would exist - for fans to mourn their favourite characters...or to gloat at the ones they hated. Even though Saihara-kun ended the games for good, there were still a number of people here offering their respects.

I'd been in a bit of a haze during my stay in the hospital. I hadn't really given the time to think of just how insane our situation was. We most likely weren't the same people during the game as we were before. Entire identities...erased at the drop of a hat. Or in this case the flick of a switch. All for a show where we were forced to murder one another. I honestly couldn't think of anything more terrifying. Perhaps I am one of the greatest pianists alive, but it looks like that's purely artificial. It's not a talent I earned, nor is it one I deserved. I bet the others would say the same, too.

The shrines were arranged in the chronological order of deaths. Naturally there weren't shrines for Saihara-kun, Yumeno-san or Harukawa-san. Strangely, there wasn't one for Kiibo, either. But that was okay, I thought. I was the one still carrying Kiibo's torch, so to speak.

The first stop on my visit, naturally, was Amami-kun. His shrine wasn't quite as demonstrative as the others. Perhaps because his talent had been a mystery for so long. His was less of a shrine and more of a traditional headstone. It was quaint, and if it wasn't for the black and white portrait identifying it as his grave, no one would be any the wiser.

This one especially hurt. While I was relieved to find out I hadn't been his killer, I certainly was still an instrument in his demise. Shirogane made sure of that, and cleaned up the mountain of evidence she'd left behind. I was a pawn in her game, yet I foolishly allowed her to set the game in motion in the first place.

"Hey, Amami-kun," I began, sighing heavily, "it...certainly is weird having to talk to you like this. Believe me, this isn't easy for me. I-I know I'm in no position to make excuses with you here. I'm the reason you're no longer with us, after all. Y'know...you seemed like a really nice guy. I thought for sure that we'd have made great friends, under different circumstances. I didn't last much longer than you did. I had to pass my wish onto Saihara-kun, and he succeeded. But now I have another wish. But this one I intend to fulfil myself. I get the impression that things aren't over...between us and the killing game. It'll be back, and it'll need someone there to stop if for good. I won't make the same mistake twice. For you and Saihara-kun, and everyone else. I'll find them. And I'll stop if for good. Then...I'll come back here. I'll live to tell the tale, Amami-kun. I hope that then...you'll be able to forgive me."

I said my goodbyes to Amami-kun, and moved on to the next shrine in the row. Obviously it was mine. And...I don't know how I felt. On the one hand, it was quite flattering seeing the display put out for a nobody like me. Grand piano, flowers, trophies, and a lot of messages left by...fans, I suppose? There were a few negative ones hidden in the pile, sure, but I wasn't the kind of person to break down in front of some mean words. The majority were notes of praise, kindness, and sorrow. It struck me as odd that I meant this much to so many. Had I really had that much of an impact? It was honestly hard to believe, which led to the other side of my feelings. The very existence of this shrine - no, this "graveyard," was remarkably unnerving. Graveyards can be creepy, I know, but that wasn't their primary purpose.

All that being said, Graveyard 53 was something of a misnomer. Far as I could tell, there were no "graves" here. Only shrines. In fact, when I was watching the killing game in the hospital, Monokuma said something along the lines of the bodies being disposed of. I dreaded to think of what that could have meant. In some cases, there was hardly a body left to dispose. Hoshi, Shinguji and Ouma all suffered deaths like that. Even I did when taken at face value.

So, back to the task at hand. The shrine dedicated to myself. I quickly glanced left to right to see if anyone was looking my way. But I reminded myself I needn't be so cautious. I was disguised well enough to not draw attention to myself. At least, that's what I hoped. There weren't a whole lot of words I could think of to address myself. But a few did come to mind.

"Who are you, really?" I whispered. "Will I ever truly know?"

* * *

 

I wasn't really a pianist. It was clear that was something that had been injected into my brain for the sake of the killing game. I thought back to Shirogane's testimony in the final trial. Specifically, the footage of me, declaring I had no faith in humanity. Of course I don't remember actually saying that. It's unclear to me if I was actually like that, or if Shirogane mocked something up out of desperation. I feel like both cases are viable, though naturally I lean towards the thought of me  _not_ being an unlikeable asshole in my previous life.

That said, I had been given a talent. Not one I earned, but one I could certainly do something with. Saihara-kun was able to use the skills given to him to end the killing game, which is honestly gleefully ironic. And then it hit me. What better way to rub it in their faces than to make something of myself with the talent they gave me? I have the skills to become a world class pianist. What's more, I already have the memories of a girl who became one of the world's premier pianists.

Myself, Saihara-kun, Yumeno-san and Harukawa-san...really, the world was our oyster. But I would not stoop so low as to purely use my talent for personal gain. I decided I was going to use my talent...to help people. To move them. Make them feel something. Maybe something they hadn't felt in a long time, or ever before. I knew that was the true power of the piano, and I had the ability to make that magic happen. Whoever I was before no longer existed. Now I was Kaede Akamatsu, the Ultimate Pianist. For real this time!

"E-excuse me?"

A voice suddenly stirred me from my thoughts. I looked around and didn't see anyone initially...and then I lowered my gaze a tad. The source of the voice was...Y-Yumeno-san???!! Maintain composure, Kaede! Maintain composure! Look cool! You're in disguise, remember?!

"U-uh...sorry," I stammered, "you caught me off guard there! C-can I help you?"

"Did you know her?" Yumeno-san asked me, gazing towards my shrine.

"I-I uhh...n-no. I didn't know her," I shook my head, "not personally. B-but she was one of my favourites. Kinda sucks that she...you know..."

"Yeah...Akamatsu-san was a very nice person. Perhaps  _the_ nicest," Yumeno-san sighed, "Saihara-kun really misses her."

My heart skipped a beat. I had no doubt that Shuichi was hurting still. Yumeno-san didn't look too happy herself, though.

"Are you here to see someone as well?"

I of course knew who Yumeno-san was here to see. Tenko Chabashira was a wonderfully vibrant person. She was caring and assertive, if a little rough around the edges. She gave all the guys a pretty hard time, but I couldn't confidently say she outright hated anyone. I accompanied Yumeno-san to Tenko's shrine. It was as you'd expect; a small dojo by way of a walled garden. It was quaint, and somewhat cute, while also perfectly communicating the kind of person Tenko was. Determined and selfless to a fault. Her beautiful portrait sat in the centre of the shrine, smiling back at Yumeno-san and I.

"If you knew Akamatsu and Tenko...then that means you must know who I am, right?" Yumeno-san asked.

"Of course," I nodded, "you're Himiko Yumeno. The Ultimate Mage. I'm really glad you made it out. The cameras all kinda shut off when Kiibo started tearing the place down."

"Nyeh...it was a close call," Yumeno-san replied, "we would've died if it weren't for Kiibo, actually. He gave his life to save us. Then again, so did Akamatsu-san...and Tenko..."

Yumeno-san sniffed. This was especially hard for her. She'd lost almost everything. Not just her past identity, but the one person who stood by her side until the very end of her life.

"I-if only some more of us had made it out..." she continued, "then maybe I wouldn't take it so hard..."

In the killing game, Yumeno-san had proven to be a lot tougher than she looked. After Chabashira-san's death, she discovered a newfound resolve to press on and try to survive. And here she was, rewarded for her efforts with her life. If only it hadn't come at such an overwhelming cost for us all. I took a good long look at Yumeno-san. The bright spark that had emerged in her was once again dying out. The poor mage needed rekindling; something to keep her going. She needed hope.

"Yumeno-san?" I said.

"What is it?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Um...sure?"

With that, I took a deep breath. I took out my contacts, and removed the wig I'd been hiding under as part of my disguise. The locks of my hair flowed down past my shoulders, and it took no time at all for Yumeno-san to realise who I was. Her eyes went wide, and her lips began quivering.

"It's lovely to see you again, Yumeno-san," I smiled.

Tears rushing into her eyes, Yumeno-san couldn't help but throw herself at me, and...well, we hugged for quite a while. After we'd both calmed down, we found a quiet place in the park to sit down and chat. I explained to her how I survived, though in spite of everything I saw at the academy and Idabashi-san's own analysis, I still wasn't exactly sure how I pulled it off.

"Life has a way, I suppose," I ended on.

"It sure does," Yumeno-san nodded, "when are you going to tell Saihara-kun?"

"I...uhhh...I haven't thought about it yet," I admitted, "I want to show myself to him again, I do. Let's just say I'm gauging the situation."

"But why? I know he'd love to see you again! I just got back from a trip, so I was on my way to visit him myself. Don't you wanna come with me?"

"I would love to, Yumeno-san. But...I feel like I'd set off a landmine if I waltzed into his place declaring 'hey Shuichi, I'm alive!' That might not be the best way to handle it. I know that he's still pretty beat up about what I did to him."

"What do you mean?"

"You know. Lying to him. Using him. Throwing my life away..."

"I understand," Yumeno-san said, "but you'll show yourself to him eventually right?"

"Yeah. Eventually. Maybe even soon."

"Then you wouldn't mind if I showed you my magic on your first date?" the cheeky little mage smirked.

"D-date? Th-that's not...that's not even--" how did she get me so flustered so easily?!

* * *

Yumeno-san and I chatted for a while longer. Honestly, it was as if I'd never left. I was proud to have watched her come out of her shell. Once passive and uncaring about...well, anything, Yumeno-san was now a kind, upbeat soul. Yes, her new life wasn't without its hardships. I bet I could say the same for Saihara-kun. And Harukawa-san. But she's much stronger now than she was back then. I liked to think a little bit of Tenko lived on in her. If such a thing as spirits did exist, then I'm positive Tenko would be watching over Yumeno-san right now.

"You'll keep in touch, won't you, Akamatsu-san?" Yumeno-san asked.

"Of course! I'm not about to up and die again anytime soon," I joked, "I'll stick around. And...don't worry about the Shuichi situation. I'll handle it, I'm sure."

Yumeno-san smiled. We hugged one last time, and said our goodbyes. I turned back to face the graveyard. I'd said my piece to most of the shrines already, but there was one I'd saved for last. Because I just had to get something off my chest. And so, I walked back into Graveyard 53. As I marched through the row of shrines, I felt a little nervous. Like someone was watching me. It was already quite late, and most of the visitors had already left. Either someone was watching me, or the aura of the person whose shrine I stood in front of really was just that overpowering.

"Tsumugi Shirogane."

I paused as I stared at her shrine. I felt a mixture of emotions, but mostly anger, sadness and confusion. Her shrine was set up innocently enough, looking like the display window of a clothing shop, featuring her monochrome portrait as its centrepiece.

"I'm...still trying to wrap my head around why you did the things you did. Why you put us through so much hurt. Why you condemned us all to death...for the sake of entertainment. But...maybe that was the whole point. Somehow I doubt it. It's clear that the killing game meant more to you than ratings or statistics. You lived for it...and you died for it. Truth be told, I have precious little respect for you...if any at all. You're honestly despicable, and you deserved to di--"

I stopped myself. Just be calm, Kaede. You're getting emotional. Yes, Shirogane was horrible. She'd done unspeakable things to my classmates. She put us through hell and most of us didn't live to talk about it. But Shirogane was dead now. She wasn't hurting anyone anymore. She wouldn't be able to resist or rebuke the fact that I was happy she was dead. And yeah, that is a fact. It felt almost liberating to nearly say out loud...but this was neither the time nor the place. I tried shifting gears a little.

"I remember when we first met, way back before any of us knew how serious this would all be. The time you took me into the bathroom...I can't even believe I agreed to take off my clothes for you. And just to prove some silly point about your bullshit cos--anyway...at the time, I thought it was pretty funny. I thought we'd make great friends. Perhaps even...well, let's just say I had an inkling of admiration for you. And we'll leave it at that. After all, that admiration has long since faded. Goodbye, Tsumugi Shirogane. Rest in peace."

Even though I'd been talking to an inanimate object, I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me. It felt good to get all that off my chest, and running into Yumeno-san was very welcome, indeed. All in all, it had been a productive day. And now, I seriously needed to think about my next move. I'd spent long enough erring about it. But pretty soon, it would be time to do something about the Saihara situation. I would have to show myself to him. I  _wanted_ to show myself to him. I care about him a great deal, and I just want him to be as happy as he can possibly be. I think that sooner rather than later, I'd let him know. Let him know that I'm alive.

Before they could take me from him again...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really sorry again for the wait on this one. Life has a way of getting in the way sometimes. I said on Twitter I'd probably be going on hiatus from this fic, at least for November while I try to work on my NaNoWriMo project. I felt obligated to at least get one more chapter of Restoring Harmony published before then, just so you guys aren't waiting too long for more content.
> 
> Anyways, as always, I hope you enjoy!


	16. The Three Survivors Ride Again

**PERSPECTIVE: MAKI HARUKAWA**

"Good morning, Shu--you slept on the couch again, didn't you?"

8am. Same time I arrived every morning at Shuichi's place. Despite having a room at the orphanage I work at, the Saihara Detective Agency felt more like home to me. I was here most days, from morning until sundown. Mostly I just helped out: organising paperwork, responding to emails, and acting as a bodyguard of sorts for when the occasional "fan" shows up. I used to handle client calls, too, but Shuichi stopped me doing that after I threatened to end a client's life. Obviously I wasn't really going to kill them; it's the intimidation aspect that matters. So, here was Shuichi, yet again sprawled out across his couch, still fully clothed. His hair was a mess, and the guy just generally looked like he needed a shower.

"Oh, hey, Harukawa-san," he finally grunted, "I think it might be more accurate to say I didn't sleep much at all."

"What's keeping you up this time?" I sighed, throwing my hands on my hips. "Do I even need to ask?"

"Kaede..." we both said in tandem.

"I...I can't exactly tell you to forget about her," I conceded, "just like I can't exactly forget about Momota-kun..."

"It certainly isn't the easiest thing to have on your conscience," Shuichi resigned, "I wish Kaito was still around but...at least he went peacefully."

"Yeah..."

Losing Momota-kun was tough.Much as it pained me to admit, I did have feelings for him. Feelings that I'd kept buried almost the entire time I knew him. I wouldn't exactly say it was love at first sight, but his aloofness was kind of the foil I needed at that time. My problem stemmed from my need to be a recluse. Trust no one, and make sure no one trusts you. Stay as far removed from the pack as possible. I dunno if that was a symptom of the flashback lights or if I genuinely was just like that, but either way it was my mantra. And a stupid one, at that. By the time I'd admitted my feelings for Momota-kun...it was just too late. Execution or no, he had mere seconds to live. If I had to take one regret to my grave, it sure would be that one.

I was a lot tougher mentally than Shuichi, though. I by no means consider myself to be as smart or as rational as he is, but rather unfortunately it takes a lot less to break him. 24/7, the only thing on his mind was Akamatsu-san. Admittedly, sometimes he thought about her productively. On a case, he would often say things like "what would Kaede do?" I'll admit to never being her biggest fan. To be honest I'd go as far as to say I outright disliked her. But nobody - _nobody_ \- deserved what happened to her. Back in the academy, even after her death, I struggled to wrap my head around why Shuichi was so caught up on her. But now I've come to learn why she's still so important to him.

Knowing how much she meant - still means - to Shuichi, I probably would've tried to get to know her better. At the time, her we all need to stick together mentality rubbed me the wrong way. It was totally pointless. Someone was going to die eventually; that place was a time bomb. All Akamatsu-san did was temporarily dim the fuse. Yet there was a quality to her stubbornness that even I find hard to deny. If she were here today, I definitely think Shuichi would be at least twice the man he is now. I shook my head out of my thought. Shuichi's depression was nothing if not infectious. But he at least had someone else coming into his life. Today, in fact.

"Hey, Shuichi," I motioned to him, "go take a shower. Naegi-san's gonna be here in an hour."

"O-oh!" a shot of life had been injected into his soul. "I-I didn't forget! I've just been so lost in thought that I--"

"Go take a shower." I hated bringing out the death glare, as Shuichi dubbed it, but needs must. Sometimes I didn't even mean to do it. What do they call that...evil resting face, or something along those lines? I'm sure a certain inventor would've been happy to correct me there.

"Okay, okay," Shuichi smiled, making his way to the bathroom, "but, answer me something first."

"Okay, make it quick."

"You seem...a little on edge about Naegi-san. Pardon my language, but when she first walked in here the other day, you literally blurted out 'what the fuck?'"

"Uh, okay..." I sighed. I had been a little antsy since that girl showed up. I decided it was finally time to come clean to Shuichi. "Honestly? I was just shocked that a girl besides me and Yumeno-san walked in here."

"H-huh? Wha--what are you saying?"

"Relax, I'm joking, sort of," I giggled, patting him on the shoulder. He didn't look impressed.

"Well, I won't press you anymore, I know that you're not exactly quick to trust...well, anyone," Shuichi resigned, "but speaking of Yumeno-san, don't you think she was acting strange last night?"

"Hmm, kinda," I nodded, "it was nice to see her again, though."

* * *

**SAIHARA DETECTIVE AGENCY, THE NIGHT BEFORE**

**PERSPECTIVE: HIMIKO YUMENO**

Well here I was. Back in Japan. Back at Saihara-kun's detective agency. I was kinda just standing here out in the cold, debating on when exactly I was going to knock on his front door. I hadn't even told him in advance I'd be visiting. My emotions were kind of all over the place right now. Being reunited with Akamatsu-san wasn't something I'd ever expect to happen, ever. I felt a rush of adrenaline not unlike just before heading onstage for one of my magic shows. Except the difference was I didn't feel like barfing. It was more like I just didn't know how I was going to approach this situation. I wasn't going to tell Saihara-kun that she wasn't dead. One, because I'm certain he wouldn't believe me. And two, Akamatsu-san wanted to reveal herself to him on her own terms. I would never want to take that away from her.

I guess I should back up a little bit, huh? My name is Himiko Yumeno. I'm not really what you'd call the most outgoing or the most upfront person. I hated conflict of any kind, and always preferred to be passive and just let things play out, without any kind of interference from myself. On top of all that I was pretty lazy. I loved sleeping and generally not putting much effort into things. Not that I'd put any of this on a resume; I was well aware they were pretty deep flaws.

To be honest I'm still shocked I made it out of the academy alive. I for sure wasn't going to kill anyone. All the planning involved just would have been way too much effort, and Saihara-kun would've found me out in no time flat. N-not that I would want to kill anyone anyway! I'm also really surprised I didn't end up getting killed myself. I would have been such an easy target. Then again...I suppose I also have Tenko to thank for that...

When I lost Tenko, I thought I'd also lose my will to keep on going. I was pretty close. If it weren't for all my friends supporting me (even Ouma-kun, in his own creepy little way, was there for me when it mattered), then I'm sure I wouldn't be standing here today. I know that Tenko gave her life in place of my own; I think she must have known whoever was going in Shinguji's cage was facing certain death. Turns out she'd been right. And while I'd give anything to have her back with me, that just wasn't the way things worked. Akamatsu-san being the glaring exception, of course.

Finally I took a deep breath, and worked up the courage to knock on the door. About 10 seconds later, I stood face to face with Saihara-kun. It was rare to see such a huge smile on his face. It warmed my heart.

"Yumeno-san! I wasn't expecting you!" he said happily. "Hey, Harukawa-san! Look who just showed up!"

Harukawa-san appeared behind Shuichi's shoulder. She smiled, too, quietly radiant as always. She probably smiled even less than Saihara-kun, to be honest. Yet there was something tremendously elegant about her. I'm certainly not the kind of person to wax poetic - I'm not really smart enough to pull it off. I would probably need Angie here for something like that. It wasn't a secret that Harukawa-san was the reserved type, but when she was happy it showed in a subtly beautiful way. Ugh, looks like I got lost in my own head again. Anyway, it was so great to see the both of them once again.

"A-are you coming in, or...?" he asked awkwardly.

"Oh, yes! I have a lot to talk about!" I headed inside with Saihara-kun and Harukawa-san.

I was inside Saihara-kun's home. The three of us sat around the lounge, getting comfy and drinking the detective's favourite blend of herbal tea. I can do this, I thought to myself, I  _can_ not talk about Akamatsu-san. I just had to hope and pray the conversation wouldn't steer in that direction. I desperately wanted to grab ahold of him and scream  _she's alive, she's alive!_ It took every ounce of mana inside me to resist the temptation. I couldn't say it. I  _would not say it._

"Yumeno-san?" Saihara-kun called to me suddenly.

"Ah! Y-yes?"

"You seem lost in thought. Your brow is furrowed and your staring at that tea with an enviable intensity. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, y-yeah! Everything is fine! It just feels weird, being back home, y'know?"

"Understandable," Harukawa-san nodded, "travelling all around the world, getting to see amazing sights, then having to come back to pokey little Japan? You look the polar opposite of homesick right now."

"So, she's...um...travel sick?" Saihara-kun tried.

"Oh I was plenty travel sick, believe me," I groaned, "if by that you mean filling paper bags with my lunch every time I hopped on a plane."

That got a bit of a chuckle out of Harukawa-san. I guess this would be one of those 'funny cos it's true' things.

"Actually," I continued, "I'm more than happy to be back in Japan. The travelling and performing was nice, but I'm so ready to just stop working and hibernate. And we obviously don't need to worry about that death school anymore."

"Heh, yeah," Saihara-kun nodded, smiling wryly. Damn it! Why did I say that? Talking about the killing game is like one step away from talking about  _her!_

"A-anyway! We don't wanna talk about that place anymore! Right?"

"Agreed," Harukawa-san concurred, "if I could get the flashback light treatment on  _that_ place I'd take the offer up in a heartbeat."

"Uhh...even if it meant forgetting about us?" Saihara quizzed.

"Small price to pay," she smugly replied, sipping her tea.

"Wow, that's cold."

"Uh-huh, and so is this tea."

"I think that's your own fault, though," I cackled.

The conversation moved over to where I was planning on staying. After the killing game, I'd obviously gained a lot of recognition. The Unlikely Mage, they called me. Akamatsu-san told me she wanted to use her talent to become successful and spite the founders of the killing game. It seems great minds think alike, because that's exactly what I did travelling the world. I performed in several different countries across lots of continents. I performed in the USA, the UK, India, Finland, China, Brazil, Russia, Argentina, Nigeria, Canada and finally the Republic of Ireland. In that order. I must've transferred all my braincell magic to Saihara-kun and Harukawa-san, because my trip planning wasn't very smart.

In any case, I'd earned enough money to buy a small apartment for myself. It was only a short train ride away from the detective agency, actually. I was really happy about that. I loved being able to stay in contact with both of them. Since the killing game we've become the best of friends. And an event like that definitely makes me cherish these friendships like no other. Performing overseas was cool, but I would be so lost without my favourite detective and assas--child caregiver. Plus now that Akamatsu-san was back in the picture, it was looking like our wholesome trio could eventually bloom into a full squad! She just needed to do her part and show herself when the time was right. Maybe not tomorrow, or for another year or two...I didn't know when it would happen, but I knew Akamatsu-san had a plan. She confided that much in me.

"So when do we get to see your new place?" Harukawa-san asked all of a sudden.

"Um..huh?"

"Yeah! You're all set up right?" Saihara-kun continued to press. "I think a housewarming party could be good for all of us!"

"Y-you're not supposed to be this cheery..." I said under my breath. "B-besides, I'm not all set up just yet! I gotta rearrange my furniture! A-and place down wards! Oh, and I must reorganise my spell books!"

"That should only take you a day or so, right?" Harukawa-san replied. "In fact, we could even help you out!"

"Oh, good idea," the detective nodded, "I'm working on a case tomorrow, but I should be free in the evening."

What do I do?! I can't exactly say no. I was lying. My apartment  _was_ all set up. That wasn't the issue. I could come up with any old excuse, but I was already looking desperate and flustered. Someone like Saihara-kun would see through me in an instant. So would Harukawa-san's demon gaze!

"S-sure! Tomorrow evening? That sounds...wonderful!" I smiled through gritted teeth.

Oh boy. This was  _not_ going to be pleasant. I hadn't planned for this at all. But the more I thought about it, the more obvious it seemed that they would want to visit. I really  _had_ transferred all my braincell magic! What was the problem, exactly? Why was I kicking up such a fuss about them just visiting for a housewarming party? Well the truth is...Akamatsu-san's staying at my place!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh...looks like Himiko done goofed. We'll be right back!
> 
> I know this was more of a filler chapter. The point was to bring the characters a step closer together so I apologise if it was a little slow or broke the pacing. I have a hard time bridging the gaps between the bigger events, so I wanna try and make the downtime at least a bit fun and character-centric. Anyway, as always thank you for reading!


	17. BOX 17

**PERSPECTIVE: SHUICHI SAIHARA**

"Oh, good morning, Naegi-san!" not a second too early or late, Naegi-san seemed to be effortlessly punctual.

"Good morning, Saihara-kun!" she smiled back. "And good morning to you, Harukawa-san!"

"Morning," Maki didn't even conjure the effort to make eye contact with Naegi-san. Not that I was surprised, nor did I wanna make a big deal out of it.

I would be throwing Naegi-san in at the deep end today. Her first investigation with me was a missing persons case. A young woman had disappeared in the vicinity. Her name was Renge Yoshida. Looking through the case files I'd compiled together from internet articles and newspaper clippings, I couldn't find anything particularly noteworthy about her. She was relatively plain looking. Light brown hair, ponytail, brown eyes. At least, she was plain compared to the likes of myself and  _especially_ to Maki...but I would sooner die than say that to her face.

"I'm sorry to say we'll be leaving as soon as you've arrived," I said to Naegi-san, "I hope you don't mind that your first case with me is gonna be a pretty difficult one."

"Oh, I don't mind at all," she nodded enthusiastically, "you're Shuichi Saihara. I'm prepared for something a little out of the ordinary."

"Heh, well I do suppose I have that kind of a reputation," I shook my head, "a-anyway, let's quickly go over the files shall we?"

Myself, Maki and Naegi-san gathered around the dining table. I spread my files out for them both to see. I highlighted and pointed at key areas with my finger.

"This is a missing persons case," I continued, "the missing in question is Renge Yoshida. 21 years old. No notable background to speak of. Just a regular young adult. Regular education, regular upbringing, regular, well, everything. Her relatives suspect it's a kidnapping. On paper she's the definition of average, which makes the circumstances around her disappearance all the more baffling."

"Hmm, don't you think that's how this kind of thing usually goes, though?" Naegi-san asked. "Like, don't kidnappers always target the ones that don't stand out much?"

"It's a thought that crossed my mind, for sure," I replied, "and I think you might be right. It's just...when you analyse these things up close, you have to wonder...why her? Why someone  _like_ her? What does the kidnapper have to gain?"

"That is assuming it  _is_ a kidnapping," Maki interjected.

"H-harukawa-san?"

"Isn't it just as likely that she ran away from home?" Maki continued. "Nothing special about her, no prospects, no particular ambitions or goals in mind. Maybe she just wanted a change."

"It's a possibility," I nodded, "but an unlikely one. It just doesn't stack up with the evidence. Take a look at this."

I pulled out one file in particular from my case notes. A testimony from Renge's father. He claimed that his daughter called him not long before she disappeared.

"There's even a transcript of the conversation,  _and_ her last known GPS location from her phone."

Renge clearly told her dad she was ten minutes away from home, so she was within walking distance. Her GPS records back that up. It saves her location every two minutes. Yet approximately two minutes before she was due to arrive at home...that's when her phone cut off.

"Her last known location was this neighbourhood," I pointed to a tiny street on a map in the case files, "we should begin our investigation here."

"Hmm, do you think we'll be able to find her phone?" Naegi-san asked. "It sounds like she could've lost it or broken it."

"If it's broken, it won't be much use to us," I added, "but it would confirm my suspicion of foul play."

"I'm gonna let you guys take this one," Maki said suddenly, throwing herself down on the couch, "don't wanna step on anyone's toes."

"Uhh, okay...? We'll see you later then?" I asked her. Why was she acting so strangely?

"Yeah. Sure. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Himiko's place tonight. Think I'd rather just chill out before then. You two enjoy yourselves."

"Yeah, no problem. We'll see you later then!"

"Goodbye, Harukawa-san!" Naegi-san waved enthusiastically.

"Mhm..."

* * *

Naegi-san and I had just departed from a packed train to our destination. We'd sat in crushingly awkward silence the entire time. Maybe it wasn't so awkward for her, but it was almost suffocating for me. We began our walk to the scene of our investigation, which would take us around another twenty minutes or so. So I was thankful that Naegi-san finally decided to break the silence, because I for sure wasn't going to do it myself.

"Hey, Saihara-kun," she spoke.

"Y-yeah? What's up?"

"Does Harukawa-san...have a problem with me?"

Oh man, how am I supposed to answer this? Maki had definitely been giving Naegi-san the cold shoulder, not to mention her trademark icy glare. When I confronted her about it she gave me a very sarcastic answer, but she was obviously being facetious. Maki only held grudges against people she thought deserved it. Case in point: Ouma-kun. She  _certainly_ wasn't the jealous type, either. Still, something about Naegi-san was making Maki lose her cool.

"She's just...uhhh...not used to, um, having other girls around. That's all," I tried. And I really tried. I wasn't exactly lying...or was I? I wasn't sure, really. Even now I could feel Ouma-kun's influence taking ahold of me. I wasn't really sure how I felt about that - certainly not comfortable.

"I see. That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Y-you think?"

"Yeah. Harukawa-san strikes me as the reserved type. It's in her appearance, her body language. She doesn't seem to be the kind of person to open herself up easily to others, so I get why she'd be a little suspicious or standoffish."

Damn. She knew Maki almost as well as I did. And she'd only known her for a couple days.

"Hey, Naegi-san."

"Yeah? What is it, Saihara-kun?"

"Thanks for...y'know, saying something."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Well, I might technically be your boss, but I'm honestly pretty shy. I probably wouldn't have said anything until we got to investigating. And then it would be all business from me. So...thanks for breaking the ice."

"No problem!" Naegi-san smiled brightly.

Yeah, we'd broken the ice kind of at Maki's expense. But at least she wasn't here to stare us to death. I was at least thankful for that.

"Well, this is the place," we stood at the corner of the street where Renge Yoshida had disappeared.

It was...eerie, to say the least. This was the most serious case I'd taken on since setting up the detective agency. Usually I handled tamer stuff, like disputes between couples or searching for lost cats. Still, at least there wasn't a body to investigate...I didn't want to have to go through that again.

"It's a little quiet around here, don't you think?" Naegi-san whispered.

"Yeah. It's unnerving. According to my notes, Yoshida always walked through here on her way home."

"It's easy to see why. No footfall or traffic to speak of. It's peaceful."

"It sure is. It might also be the perfect place to make someone disappear."

"D-don't say that, Saihara-kun..."

"You're right. Let's not jump to conclusions before we start investigating. Shall we get started?"

* * *

After taking a brief look around (and trying to put how creepily silent the place was in the back of our minds) we split the street into three main sections. The first was the row of houses on the street. Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to look inside; we'd already knocked on each and every door and strangely, no one was home. Still, we would be able to search around the front of the buildings for clues. Second was the street itself, the strip of road in front of the houses. We didn't expect to find much of value here, but there were a couple of trashcans and a notice board that were well worth checking out. Lastly was a small wooded area on the opposite side of the houses. If anything were to be hidden around here, I could almost guarantee it would be in there. After forming our game plan, Naegi-san and I began with the houses.

"I can't see why Yoshida would make a stop at any of these houses on her way home," I pondered, "judging by the distance from her workplace to home, and the time it takes her get there, I'd say she's a brisk walker."

"Hmm, but if foul play  _was_ involved, wouldn't the culprit - or  _culprits -_ want to hide the evidence in the last place you'd look?" Naegi-san raised a good point. It never hurts to be thorough, and we weren't under any kind of time limit.

We searched around each house meticulously, but to no avail. The surroundings were pristine, untouched...which was a little odd in itself.

"Hmm, I wonder if we're approaching this the wrong way..." I wondered.

"Oh? How so?" Naegi-san responded, giving me her full attention.

"Let's flip our thinking on its head," I explained, "instead of being thrown off by a lack of clues, isn't it odd that there aren't any clues at all? Not only that, there's a distinct lack of...well,  _anything_ around here."

"Ah...so what you're saying is the lack of clues...is a clue in itself!" Naegi-san said excitedly.

"Precisely," I nodded back, "I wonder if it's always like this or..."

"If someone did a little too good of a job covering their tracks," Naegi-san finished my sentence. It was almost refreshing to see that our thoughts were on the same wavelength.

As we both fell silent again, I paid attention to just how quiet the neighbourhood was. Apart from a light breeze, there was practically no sound at all. It created a positively suffocating atmosphere, not unlike what we experienced at the academy. I wanted to keep up the conversation with Naegi-san just to keep my nerves in check.

"So, uh, Naegi-san," I started to say as we crossed the road to check out the notice board, "are you doing anything tonight?"

"S-Saihara-kun...you're not asking me out are you?" she replied, looking surprised.

"N-no! Not at all, I swear! I-it's just that Maki and I are going to visit a friend tonight. I kinda thought...it would be great if you wanted to come, too?"

"Oh, sure! That sounds wonderful! If you don't mind, I'd love to tag along!"

"Great! B-by the way, I'm really just trying to keep the conversation going. This place is giving me the creeps."

"Yeah, that's understandable. Oh, and for the record, if you  _did_ want to ask me out, I'm afraid I'm already taken!" she smirked.

"Y-yeah, of course! That's no problem at all!" I...wasn't even trying to ask her out...

* * *

Naegi-san and I flipped a coin to decide who'd be searching through the trash cans on the other side of the street. I'm afraid to say I was the lucky "winner," so...on went the rubber gloves. After wasting no time rubbing this in my face, my cocky assistant got to perusing the notice board.

"Missing pet cat...some job openings...rental services...huh, nope. Nothing really out of the ordinary here, Saihara-kun," Naegi-san called over, "how's everything on your end?"

"Not as filthy as I was expecting, strangely," I replied, "most of this trash is old newspapers and empty coffee cups."

These were the most pristine trash cans I'd ever laid my hands on. Granted, I didn't make a habit out of putting my hands in  _any_ trash cans, but I digress. They were a little too...clean. The trash was strikingly uniform. As I'd mentioned to Naegi-san, it was the least dirty trash you could possibly think of. Newspapers, coffee cups, bottles...the same kinds of trash, even the same brands, made up the majority of litter in both trash cans. I was now 99% convinced this was planned in advance.

But why? Most likely to evade suspicion from people passing through the area...but if you spent more than five minutes here, it became abundantly clear that this neighbourhood just didn't feel right. A row of about fifteen houses with nobody home, suspiciously mundane trash, and a complete lack of anyone's physical presence. This was the first time in my detective career that I hadn't found a single clue...while simultaneously having almost everything I needed to advance the case. Well, everything except a lead, that is.

"Saihara-kun..."

"Yeah?"

"I'm starting to feel like this isn't really somewhere people live."

"Yeah. Me, too."

Yet if that was the case, what was its purpose? If this wasn't really a residential area, it would be the perfect place to set up an ambush. In that case, we would have our reason for Yoshida's disappearance. We didn't exactly have time for a stake out, despite Naegi-san volunteering to do so. Yoshida could be anywhere, and if she was on the move we really couldn't afford to waste time waiting for someone... _anyone_...who may not even show up.

"Uhh...Saihara-kun? You might wanna take a look at this..."

Concerned, I rushed over to Naegi-san, who'd found something pretty creepy on the notice board, hiding under a bunch of other postings.

"Th-this is..."

An advertisement, or so it seemed. It featured four people I knew remarkably well. Momota-kun, smiling and looking into the distance. Monokuma holding a...salmon? Above those two, a large drawing of Harukawa-san, her finger pressed to her lips in a hushing gesture. Below them stood Kiibo-kun. Kiibo-kun was in fact the centrepiece of the artwork. In the background behind him stood the rest of our class, albeit only their silhouettes. Gonta-kun's figure was especially prominent given his build. So too of course was Akamatsu-san, whom I would recognise anywhere - silhouetted or not. The only noticeable omission was Shirogane, which I suppose made a modicum of sense.

"I really didn't need reminding of this place again..." I sighed, turning away from the poster, "Naegi-san, could you please throw that away?"

"With pleasure," she replied swiftly.

As I heard Naegi-san tear the poster to pieces, I found myself facing the neighbourhood side of the street again. I sighed deeply. Our lead was cold, and an unwanted reminder of the events of half a year ago. This was turning out to be a giant waste of time.

"Saihara-kun, you didn't forget about the last location we need to check, did you?" Naegi-san asked me.

"Oh! Of course not!" I nodded. "If we're gonna find anything, it'll be down there."

I was referring to the tiny forested region of the neighbourhood. It wasn't much, but I wouldn't be doing my job as a detective if I didn't at least check it out. We both hopped over the fence by the roadside and took a look around the trees. Immediately something felt off. A change of atmosphere was to be expected, sure. We were now in a more natural environment. Yet there was something else, and Naegi-san pointed it out immediately. Or rather, she heard it.

"Saihara-kun, you hear that sound, right?"

I had to close my eyes and filter out my excess senses, but once I did, I absolutely could hear something unnatural. A slow, rhythmic creaking.

"Oh, no..." it was a familiar sound. A sound that made my whole body quiver in shock and fear.

As I opened my eyes again, my senses had certainly been dulled. My body felt heavy as I approached the source of the sound. All I could hear was that creaking, and the sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet. A hellish marriage of the natural and unnatural. Then I found the source of the creaking. Then...I saw her.

This was indeed Renge Yoshida. Hanging lifelessly from a noose tied to a thick tree branch. Her clothes were slightly torn, and she was covered in cuts and bruises. I was immobilised by the sight of her. Flashbacks of the killing game began to invade my mind. Yoshida...Akamatsu-san...the parallels of their demises were all too apparent. I used what remaining energy I had to turn to Naegi-san; she was simply catatonic. Tears streamed across her face. She was trembling, as was I.

"Saihara-kun...Saihara-kun! Hey... _SHUICHI!_ " an echoed voice called out to me in my mind. It was enough to snap me back to reality.

I ran beside Naegi-san and grabbed onto her shoulders. "Naegi-san! Naegi-san! Can you hear me?!"

She, too, shook her head." I...I--"

"We need to get out of here," I said, "the case is closed."

"Wh...what?"

"Our job was to find Yoshida, and we did. That's all there is to it," the despair in my voice was palpable.

"B-but...she's..."

"Dead. I know. I'll contact the authorities. They'll handle the rest. I'm sorry your first case ended up like this."

"N-no, it's okay," Naegi-san wiped the tears from her eyes, "let's get out of here."

After paying our respects to Yoshida, we walked away in silence. While the case was over, certain details stuck in my mind. The whole thing felt like a set-up. A calling card. But for what reason? It appeared as if someone wanted to send a message, but they'd done it in such an unnecessarily grisly manner...that I really wanted to make them pay. Renge Yoshida was just a girl in her early twenties. She had her whole life ahead of her. Just like myself and Naegi-san. Just like Akamatsu-san...

* * *

**ELSEWHERE...**

"Well, that little scenario you whipped up kept them busy for a while. But what was the point?"

"Oh, well, to be honest...I really just wanted to get under his skin! You know how he feels about her."

"It was a little extra, perhaps, but I suppose you got the job done regardless."

"It was my pleasure, sir."

"Sasaki, keep this up and I have to say...there may be a promotion in the cards for you when we restructure."

"A promotion, hm? Oh, I don't think I'll be needing one of those. I'm flattered, though."

"I assume the next stage of your plan is in place?"

"Not only is it in place, it's about to go off. In a pretty big way. You'll see soon enough."

"Okay. Don't make me regret green lighting this little project of yours."

"Have you regretted it thus far?"

"Hah. I suppose not."

"I'll take my leave, then. Oh! One last thing."

"What is it?"

"You may want to keep an eye on the mage."

"Why? Is she becoming a problem?"

"Oh, no. Quite the contrary. I just heard she's about to host a pretty impressive fireworks display. Just thought you might wanna tune in..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. At just over 3000 words I think this is the longest chapter to date. Sorry for the wait! Things are about to get interesting.


	18. Fireworks

**PERSPECTIVE: SHUICHI SAIHARA**

I was so tired. It had been a long day, to be sure, but the events of the day were especially draining. I was at a total loss. Naegi-san and I walked back to the train station in silence. Not out of awkwardness but rather out of my own desire to simply not say anything. I didn't deserve to. This was Naegi-san's first case as my assistant and I managed to throw us both in at the deep end. A deep end where neither of us knew how to swim. I hadn't been part of a murder case in over half a year. Granted, those were different, highly controlled circumstances, but I thought that honestly, I could've moved past all that. Today was a harsh reminder that a detective's work was grisly by nature. I couldn't filter that aspect of it out regardless of my past experiences.

"Saihara-kun? You look a little lost in your own thoughts," Naegi-san spoke up, mercifully breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Can you really blame me?" I replied, sounding more venomous than I'd intended. "S-sorry."

"It's alright. And no, I can't blame you. I'm...as shocked as you are. Genuinely. But y'know, I think I'll be okay."

"Oh?"

"Can we find a place to sit? I...have to tell you something. Something I really should've brought up during my interview."

"S-sure. Oh, hey, there's a bench right over there."

Making our way to the bench, situated on a quiet country footpath, I wondered what Naegi-san was about to admit. She looked deeply stern, almost nervous. I looked away, but kept her in my peripheral vision. We didn't say another word until we both sat down. Those short few seconds were oddly tense.

"Okay, so..." Naegi-san took a deep breath, "...that wasn't actually the first time I've seen a dead body."

"O-oh, really?" that did surprise me a little. Naegi-san looked like your average schoolgirl. Hard to imagine she's been through a lot. I wasn't expecting anything on the level of the killing game. Oh, how wrong I was.

"I've been through a lot more than you think," she continued, "you might remember in the interview, I mentioned that my life had been hell recently? I meant that almost literally. Have you heard of a place called Towa City?"

I shook my head. Nothing like a Towa City came to mind. Although not much of anything came to mind that wasn't created artificially.

"I'm not surprised, really. It was walled off from the rest of society. Japan's largest gated community. It was run by a cabal of...kids, believe it or not. Not like me or you. Young kids. Real young. And they'd brainwashed armies of even  _younger_  children into killing adults for them. There was little hope for survival if you were any older than sixteen. It was vicious. Legitimate kill or be killed stuff. Sounds familiar, right, Saihara-kun?"

"It sounds like...you're describing a killing game. Just on a macro scale. H-honestly I kinda find it a little hard to believe if I hadn't been apart of one of this messed up world's projects myself."

"Yeah. Well, a friend and I were caught up right in the middle of it. We were trapped in that city, too. Constantly looking over our shoulders, hiding anywhere we could from bloodthirsty kids...and Monokuma units."

"What?! Monokuma units?!" She had to be joking. One Monokuma was horrid enough, yet here Naegi-san was implying Towa City hosted an  _army_ of them! "A-are you saying that the killing games and this Towa City...they're connected?"

"I can't say for sure. But Monokuma, and the ties to Junko Enoshima, those were certainly the same."

"Enoshima..."

We assumed Junko Enoshima to be a lie. At least, that was what Shirogane had attested to. The Ultimate Cosplayer had decidedly not been on our side - with her, it was hard to tell where the truth ended and where the lies began. Much as it pained me to do so...I had to assume the same of Naegi-san. She seemed the honest type. She was clearly a good person, and as she recounted her tale there was genuine weight to her words. However, it was such a grand scale event and I'd heard nothing of it since we escaped. Then again, we  _were_ cooped up in the academy for what felt like months. Anything could've happened on the outside. Hell, anything could've happened  _before_ our identities and memories were replaced. Honestly, the whole thing was giving me a huge headache.

"Sorry," Naegi-san said, "we haven't known each other long. That was a little heavy, huh? And I don't expect you to believe me, either way."

"Oh, it's not that," I smiled wryly, "I do believe you. Perhaps it's not befitting a detective to take stock in tales such as yours but...I do believe you. I have no reason not to."

I stood up and sighed.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Naegi-san, I've lost near enough everything. I lost my identity, my friends, and damn near my will to live."

"Saihara-kun..." Naegi-san stood up next to me, concern in her voice. I continued regardless.

"Seeing Yoshida today reinforced to me what little I've done to save anybody. There were sixteen of us in that academy. Besides myself, only two others made it out, and they did so on their own terms. Maki certainly didn't need anyone's help. And Yumeno-san? She's a lot stronger than people think. All I did was stumble my way through each trial and send my friends to their deaths."

"That's not true at all!" she rebutted. "What else were you supposed to do in there?! Give up and have _everyone_ die?! At least some of you lived! And...you  _ended_ it! There won't be another killing game because of you! That's gotta be hundreds - if not  _thousands_ of lives you've saved!"

"I don't care."

"What?"

"Like I said, I've lost almost everything. The thousands more lives we potentially saved? I don't give a damn. They sure don't. Not that I'm after gratitude but it was a thankless job. I couldn't even save the people closest to me! I couldn't even save--"

I stopped short of saying her name. I  _wanted_ to move past this - my mind just wouldn't let me, though. Regardless, Naegi-san pressed the issue.

"Save who? Come on, Saihara-kun. Are you afraid to say their name?" she asked somewhat aggressively. This was a different, more assertive Naegi-san than the one I was used to.

"You know who," I gingerly responded, "I don't have the energy to talk about her anymore. She did what she did and she paid the price for it. It's over and done. But...if she'd just handled things a bit differently then-- _hrrk!_ "

Suddenly I was on the ground. My cheek flush with pain. I looked up to Naegi-san - her fists were clenched. Did she...hit me? That... _really_ hurt.

"How could you be so selfish?!" she yelled. "Stop acting like Akamatsu-san threw her life away for nothing! Do you think she  _wanted_ to die?! Do you think she wanted to watch her friends murder each other?!"

"Th-that's not--"

"And what were  _you_ doing during that first trial, huh? You didn't even  _try_ to rebut her! You never considered the possibility that she was innocent. And guess what? She _was!_ "

"You think I don't know that?!" I yelled back in a choked voice. "I regret how I acted, okay?! But in the heat of the moment, Akamatsu-san _wanted_ me to indict her! What was I supposed to do?!"

"Investigate!!You're a  _detective,_ aren't you?!"

"There was no way we could've known it was Shirogane! We had no idea about Amami-kun's past. We didn't know about the secret passage in the bathroom. There's a lot of details we missed, and that's gonna haunt me for the rest of my life."

I paused and sighed. I wasn't expecting the conversation to get this heavy. In a way, it was a weight off my shoulders. Venting about my frustrations at both myself and Akamatsu-san...I can't deny it was slightly liberating.

"Look..." I continued, "from the moment we discovered Amami-kun's body, Akamatsu-san engineered the trial so that she could give herself up. She wasn't afraid to put her neck on the line. She put fourteen total strangers' lives over her own. If you think I'm not remotely thankful for that...then you're just dead wrong."

Naegi-san fell silent, so I carried on.

"Do I wish I'd conducted a more thorough investigation? Of course! I wish more than anything that we could've proven Akamatsu-san's innocence  _before_ she died. The one thing that shakes me to my core is that Akamatsu-san died thinking she was a killer. She spent her final moments thinking she was an awful person. Between that and the execution, she...no. I'm done. I don't wanna go back there. I'd be doing Akamatsu-san a disservice if that's how I choose to remember her. Thanks for hearing me out, Naegi-san."

"N-no problem, Saihara-kun," she replied softly, "I'm...really sorry I hit you."

"Hah, it's alright. To be honest even I wanna hit me sometimes, so don't worry about it."

Naegi-san laughed quietly. "I actually...think really highly of you, Saihara-kun."

"Huh? What's brought this on?" Naegi-san's comment came sort of out of left field, at least according to me.

"Nothing in particular! I just...I watched the killing game. I watched you and the others grow so much. You guys really went through a lot - more than anyone of our age should be expected to. That was the kind of situation that would break just about anyone. But not you. The way you outsmarted Shirogane was just so cool!"

"Uh...th-thanks..."

"That's why I got kinda heated back there. I'd like to be your assistant for a long time, so...I don't wanna see my boss wallow in pity. Especially after he's come so far!"

Suddenly I got a warm feeling in my chest. This really felt like a turning point. There  _was_ a reason we pushed on as our friends died around us. We did it for them, of course. But me, Yumeno-san and Harukawa-san? We also did it for ourselves. We did it to prove to the world that that abhorrent show didn't need to exist. Ever since I got out, I felt like I'd lost sight of that. No amount of self pity or therapy fixed that. But Naegi-san put it all back into perspective. We survived because we had to. We had that much to prove. And we couldn't have done that without Akamatsu-san and others like her. That's how I would choose to remember her. Not for what she became...but for who she was to me.

And with that, we apologised to each other once more, and set about heading back to the office.

* * *

**ONE HOUR LATER**

"That was Harukawa-san," I said to Naegi-san, just after getting off the phone, "because we're running late she's gonna be waiting outside the office."

"Ah, I see," she nodded back, "wait, late for what? I thought we were done for today?"

"We are. We're heading to a housewarming party at our friend's house. You're more than welcome to tag along if you want."

"I might be so inclined," Naegi-san smiled, "who is your friend?"

"Oh. You'll know her. Himiko Yumeno."

Naegi-san gasped. "I get to meet the Ultimate Mage?!"

"Yeah, if you want. Just, obviously don't mention anything about the killing game."

"Hehe, I'm not stupid, Saihara-kun. I understand it's a sore topic for her as much as yourself."

As we arrived back at the office, we spotted Harukawa-san standing with her arms folded beneath a lit street light. She looked just a degree more ominous than usual.

"You're late," she sighed.

"I know. I'm sorry," I resigned. Really wasn't much else I could say besides that, "it wasn't the most uplifting of days. We have no excuses."

"Don't worry about it. I let Yumeno-san know we were running a tad late. Naegi-san? You coming, too?"

"O-oh! Y-yes!" Naegi-san replied, startled. I think this was the first bit of dialogue between the two of them since they first met. "I-I mean, Saihara-kun said it was okay, so--"

"Cool. Let's get going, then." Maki wasted no time. Understandable since we were running late.

As we started walking, Harukawa-san grabbed my arm.

"We'll catch up," she shouted to Naegi-san, "just something I need to tell him."

Naegi-san nodded and walked ahead.

"What's up?" I asked when my new assistant was a fair distance in front of us.

"Listen, Saihara-kun, I..." she paused to sigh, "...I feel like I've been kind of an asshole recently."

"H-huh? Really?"

"I've been standoffish and rude and, well, not exactly the most warm welcoming of your assistant."

"I mean...don't take this the wrong way, Harukawa-san, but I haven't noticed any difference to your--"

"Damn it, I'm trying to apologise here!"

Harukawa-san refused to make eye contact. Beyond her rough exterior was a heart of gold, but she'd never let you know about it. She was quite a prideful person, but I wouldn't want her any other way. She was sharp and brash enough to keep me on my toes. For better or sometimes worse, her personality had a sobering effect on me. Much like Naegi-san did, albeit in a  _very_ different way.

"So, yeah," she continued, "I'm sorry. I'll try to be a little less rude. No matter what happens I'll be here for you...and all that mushy stuff."

Harukawa-san's face went as red as her eyes. It was...cute. Though I wouldn't say that to her face lest I wanted my throat slashed. Instead I just smiled.

"Don't worry about it," I said, "uhhh...I think we're about to lose sight of Naegi-san?"

"Yeah, you're right," Maki chuckled, "let's catch up."

Despite the day's less than joyful events, the three of us managed to keep each others' spirits up as we walked to Yumeno-san's apartment. I was really happy to add Naegi-san to my short list of friends. Once again I could feel myself becoming whole. I felt like I could finally put it all to rest. The killing game, everything I'd lost as a result, it was all in the past. I'd finally been able to reach that conclusion...and it was liberating.

Or it would've been were it not for the events of the next twenty minutes. As we reached Yumeno-san's apartment, a seismic explosion rocked the building to its core, and threw us off our feet. I was deaf aside from a loud ringing in my ears. My vision was blurred and contorted, as I tried and failed to stand back on my feet. I could make out the consuming orange light of the apartment building set ablaze. Moments later, Harukawa-san rushed into my sight. She was shaking me, and I could hear her calling my name through muffled hearing. The shaking did the trick for my eyesight, as everything slowly came back into focus. Behind Harukawa-san, I watched as Naegi-san sprinted into the burning building.

"N-Naegi-san!!" I yelled.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Harukawa-san shouted after her.

Naegi-san didn't respond. Within moments she'd disappeared in the flames. With me being so fixated on her and her brazen disregard for safety, I hadn't even registered the panic going on around us. Injured residents were shambling out of the building. Some were crying. Others expressionless. All confused and shocked. In less than a minute, the tranquil ambience of the night had erupted into something ripped straight from a nightmare. Neither me or Harukawa-san really knew how to process what was going on.

"Does she think she'll be able to rescue Yumeno-san?" Harukawa-san asked in a confused panic.

That's right...Yumeno-san was somewhere in there! Naegi-san had no reason to risk her life for her sake. But then again, maybe that didn't matter to her. She'd been no stranger to extreme conditions. Thinking about what she told me about Towa City, compared to  _that,_ this could've just been another Tuesday for her.

It started raining pretty heavily. Harukawa-san and I found some shelter as we watched the rain and firefighters douse the flames. Naegi-san still hadn't emerged.

"Stop shaking."

"What?"

"You're shaking. Stop it."

"I-I'm..."

Harukawa-san was right. I couldn't stop trembling. Honestly, my mind was racing. Not again. I didn't want to lose Naegi-san, or Yumeno-san. I didn't want to have to live through that pain ever again. If neither of them ever came out of that building--

"They're going to be fine. So stop shaking. They're both getting out of there. Do you hear me, Shuichi?" Harukawa-san placed her hand on my shoulder.

"Y-yeah. Sure."

I tried to take deep breaths. It was helping only slightly. But then, after the longest twenty minutes of my life...there she was. Naegi-san emerged from the now mostly doused apartment building. The fires had vanished, leaving a smoking husk of a building as a reminder of its existence. She was struggling to walk, instead dragging her feet along the ground. She held Yumeno-san in both arms. She took a few more steps towards us and smiled.

"I...got her..." Naegi-san said before collapsing to the ground.

Both me and Harukawa-san rushed forward. She grabbed Yumeno-san while I tended to Naegi-san.

"She's breathing, thank god," Harukawa-san said. I looked over at them. Other than a few cuts and bruises, Yumeno-san looked relatively unharmed...almost like she was sleeping.

I turned back to Naegi-san, and...the same could not be said of her. She was pretty badly beat up, and her clothes were a mess. But she, too, was still breathing. Thank god. Suddenly she coughed, spurring herself into consciousness.

"Naegi-san...are you alright?" I asked, more as a way to comfort her. She clearly wasn't alright. "I...I have to get you to a hospital!"

"N-no, it's alright..." she stammered, "I'm...done with hospitals...for one lifetime...eheheh..."

"What? What do you mean?" A shiver ran down my spine. She...didn't want treatment? "Do you know what you're saying?! You'll die! Look at you!"

"It's okay, Saihara-kun..." she struggled to say, "I know...I'm not supposed to live..."

"H-huh?! Don't talk like that! Please!"

"I'm just happy...I got to investigate with you. And I'm happy I got to see you...one last time..."

"What?"

Harukawa-san walked up behind me, still holding Yumeno-san in her arms. "I think you're ready," she sighed.

"I-is this a joke?! Harukawa-san, what are you trying to say?!"

"Naegi-san? May I?"

Naegi-san used her remaining strength to nod at Harukawa-san. Did...she know something I didn't?

"Shuichi?" Harukawa-san said.

"W-what?"

"I'm really sorry I didn't say anything sooner..."

With that, Harukawa-san grabbed hold of Naegi-san's hair.

"H-hey!! What are you--"

I felt my entire body go numb. I had no words for what I was looking at. Naegi-san's hair dislodged from her body - nothing more than a wig. In its place flowed a head of long blonde hair.

"Im-imposs..."

The words failed to leave my mouth. This...wasn't real. It couldn't be real. There was no way...

Komaru Naegi didn't exist. She wasn't a real person. Her story about Towa City, all the crazy stuff she talked about...the things she had to survive and endure to be here today...all that evaporated in an instant. I was no longer looking at Komaru Naegi. And instead...in her place...

...was Kaede Akamatsu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I'm pretty happy with the way I wrote Komaru into the story, I'm fairly certain most of you saw this coming haha. I'm not very good or experienced at plot twists. Even still I hope you're enjoying the story thus far!


	19. Farewell

**20 MINUTES EARLIER**

**PERSPECTIVE: KAEDE AKAMATSU**

"Naegi-san!!" I heard Saihara-kun yell as I booked it towards the erupting apartment building.

What the hell was I doing?! I knew this was stupid.  _So_ stupid. Who runs into a burning building without any sort of plan, let alone fireproof equipment? I wasn't prepared or equipped for this in the slightest. I was way out of my depth here. But that didn't matter much to me. After all, I wasn't exactly a stranger to trading my life away without so much as a passing thought. With Kaede Akamatsu, that frankly just comes with the territory. Yumeno-san didn't go through hell and back for this. She deserved better. We all did. Running toward the front entrance, I ignored the heckles and warnings from bystanders.

"Hey, are you nuts?!" one person shouted as I dashed past them. Yeah, I probably was. Actually I kinda knew I was. But I was well past caring at this point.

The inside was unsurprisingly as hot as an oven. A thick haze of smoke acted like a wall of fog. I covered my mouth and tried to shield my eyes, but it still stung to have them any more open than a squint. If I opened them any more than that I felt like I'd go blind. Besides that, I was no doubt inhaling near lethal amounts of smoke which each breath. I had to make this quick. I'd only just got into the building and I was about ready to pass out. I pressed on regardless, sidestepping patches of fire while keeping a reckless pace. Couldn't afford to slow down, no matter how much danger I'd put myself in.

Staying with Yumeno-san the past few days, in hindsight, had an until now unseen benefit. I knew where her apartment was. All I had to do was get there, get her, and get out. I didn't have to go too far. She was on the fourth floor, so assuming the stairs weren't completely blocked by debris, I was confident I could make it. Unfortunately, the building's architecture was more than keen to work against me. The stairs were on the opposite side of the building to where the entrance was. Essentially, there was a long corridor between me and the first flight of stairs. I ran on, doing my best to avoid scalding hot metal and chunks of brick crashing around me. The whole ordeal felt like I was living through another execution. I wouldn't be surprised if any second now Monokuma was going to jump out and end me.

Finally, I managed to reach the stairwell. Before heading upwards, I took a second to look back. All I could see was a thick wall of smoke that I just ran through. I wondered how many years I'd just shaved off my lifespan? Between this and being choked half to death, I'd imagine quite a few. But that was neither here nor there; what mattered right now wasn't me or my safety - it was that of Yumeno-san. I was going to try my hardest to--no, I  _was_ going to save her. I pressed on up the first flight of stairs. The smoke was a little less thick here, but still enough to sting my eyes to the point of tears. I grit my teeth and carried on, but then...

"Kaede, long time no see," a voice not unlike my own startled me. I looked around back to the bottom of the staircase. It was...her. That other part of me, looking as beat up and corpse-like as ever.

"You really pick the best times, don't you?" I moaned, turning around to try and ignore her.

"Hold up. What's the rush, dear?"

"What's the--look around you! Do you think I have the time for this?!"

"Funny...I have all the time in the world."

"Would you be saying that if a flaming steel beam landed on my head right about now?"

"Probably not, but then again, I'm not exactly real..."

That's right. She's just in your head, Kaede. Ignore her. I can deal with her later, on my own terms. But this burning, crumbling ten-story building wasn't the place.

"...right?"

I felt a sheer chill down my spine.

"H-how...?"

I was frozen stiff. How was she...how did she feel so real?! I could feel her breath on the back of my neck. There was no way she was real...was there? No. Of course not. Don't be dumb, Kaede. This is all in my head. It's all in my head. I kept repeating it to myself. My mind felt like it was being torn asunder...one side screaming she wasn't real - the other demanding I pay attention to her. I had to relax. Had to focus on the task at hand. A hallucination was a hallucination...whether I thought I could physically feel it or not.

I took a deep breath and spun around to confront this Kaede...this ghost. Yet as I turned to face the stairs again...she was gone. Breathing a sigh of relief I turned back, only to jump backwards as she once again appeared directly in my face.

"Ah!!"

I stumbled back, tripping as the floor gave way to the staircase. I was sent crashing down the steps, each thud making itself known with lacerating amounts of pain. I clutched my torso in agony, trying desperately to clamber back to my feet. Using the handrail as support, I managed to do just that. I looked around for a moment, wiping blood from the side of my mouth. She was nowhere to be seen. As I thought...I'd only done that to myself. I had to press on. No more distractions. This place felt like it was seconds away from collapsing - I couldn't afford to waste time!

I managed to reach Yumeno-san's floor without too much trouble, although my little tumble wasn't doing me any favours. I ached all over, and the breathable air in this place had all but depleted. I had minutes, if that, to save Yumeno-san. Once again I found myself within inches of mortality. If I made it out of here alive, I decided I was going to show myself to Saihara-kun. No more hiding. No more keeping the truth from him. In my steadfastness to keep myself hidden from him, I knew I was probably doing more harm than good at this point; I'd dragged this on long enough. I had always been scared as to how he would react. Would he believe it was really me? Would he even want someone as troublesome as me in his life, after everything I'd done to him already? These thoughts and so many more forced me into a cocoon of my own making, and its name was Komaru Naegi.

Once again I found the building wanted to be as inconvenient as possible for me: Yumeno-san's apartment was on the far side of this floor. The floor itself was wrought with pitfalls due to the uneven ground below crumbling away. I was running - well, swiftly limping - to Yumeno-san's apartment. I hoped beyond hope she was still alive. Weaving through the final few patches of fire, I finally reached her front door. And as the smoke settled and my vision cleared, who was there to greet me but...her. Resting against the door with her arms folded like a thug.

"What do you  _want_ from me?!" I barked in frustration.

"Whatever do you mean?" she was playing coy. "You must know. I  _am_ you, after all. Whatever could I-- _you_ \--be thinking?"

"I... _genuinely_ don't know what you're talking about," I was starting to reach boiling point, and it wasn't because of the heat.

As I walked closer to her, I glanced quickly out of the window overlooking the courtyard outside. I immediately noticed the crimson red of Harukawa-san's jacket. She was pacing back and forth, while Saihara-kun sat next to her, head in his hands.

"What is it you see in him?" my other self asked, less assertive than usual.

"I don't have time for this," I shook my head, "just let me through. I will literally burn to death if you don't let me through."

"You're gonna burn to death most likely anyway," she snapped back, "just indulge me. Then I'll leave you alone."

"Forever?"

"Who can say?" she smirked.

She was right. I don't think I could ever be rid of her. She was a part of my conscience. A very real, visceral manifestation of my darker thoughts. I could see now what she wanted. She wanted me to vent my frustration, as I had done to Saihara-kun earlier today.

"It's just...none of this is remotely fair..." I said.

"Go on..." she coaxed, smirking with goading conviction.

"I'm not gonna run away from the fact that what I did was wrong. I didn't kill anyone, yet I was directly responsible for not just Amami-kun's death, but the deaths of everyone in that academy. That much I understand."

"But...?"

"But...no. I can't. I can't blame anyone else..."

"Hm?"

"I...don't understand why you want me to say what you want me to say."

"Oh?"

"You want so desperately for me to blame Saihara-kun and the others for what happened to me, but...I just don't believe in that."

"Are you hearing yourself?! I  _am_ you! At least a part of you believes this! Why can't you just admit this to yourself?!"

"Because I know it's disingenuous!"

"What?!"

"Yeah. I'll admit a part of me wants to lash out at Saihara-kun for not standing up for me. Hell, I  _did_ earlier today. But I realise now how hypocritical that was. Saihara-kun didn't condemn me. I condemned myself. That was a decision  _I_ made, not Saihara-kun, and certainly not anyone else."

"I just don't understand..." she seemed more resigned now. Tired. I...was going to help her. I was going to help myself.

"Let me put it into perspective for us. Once and for all. We were all doing what we could to survive. I did what I did because I thought I could get us all out.And when I couldn't...yeah, I got frustrated. I was angry that nobody wanted to listen to me. It's Saihara-kun who should be angry at me. Not the other way around. I'm the one who used him. Not out of malice, but out of the desire to save him and the others."

"Yeah? And look where that got you."

"I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Yeah," she sighed, "for better or worse. We are."

"So please. If you acknowledge that much...why are you trying to work against me?"

"Because...you deserve better..."

Suddenly, an enormous crashing occurred just behind me. The ceiling was collapsing at a much more pressing rate. This was getting absurd - I had to stop arguing with myself and save Yumeno-san!

"Look, please can we have this conversation later?" I begged. "If Yumeno-san dies I'll never forgive myself!"

"Fine," she nodded, "you're about to give Saihara the big reveal anyway. Let's see how truly thankful he is, shall we?"

With that, my other self dissipated into the smoke. With my mind cleared, I could focus on saving Yumeno-san. I had given myself much to think about...even if I wasn't sure I believed in it. My mind was a mess, but a burning building wasn't exactly the most ideal place for thinking straight. Shaking my head, I reached for the handle of Yumeno-san's front door.

"Crap, it's locked!" I panicked as I rattled the handle fruitlessly.

There had to be a way inside. I didn't come all this way just to be stopped by a locked door. Then suddenly, I had an epiphany. I thought back to the spat I had with Saihara-kun earlier. When I punched him, I used my left arm. It wasn't a very strong punch, but it was enough to send him crashing to the ground. I looked down at my new arm, and clenched my fist.

"Kiibo, if you're listening...I could really use some help right now..."

I took a couple steps back from the door, took a deep breath, and lunged forward. I sent my fist crashing towards the door. Fortunately, it was able to easily smash through the wood, creating a hole to the other side. That was...extremely empowering! I hastily reached through the hole and clambered for the lock. Unlocking it second later, I burst through into Yumeno-san's apartment. It, too, was awash in flames. It didn't take much looking around to find Yumeno-san. She was collapsed on the floor next to the couch.

"Yumeno-san!"

I scurried over to her. There wasn't enough time to check if she was conscious, so I grabbed her in my arms and quickly left the apartment. With the heat messing up my senses, I couldn't tell if she was alive or dead - I just had to hope for the best. I stumbled out of the apartment not a moment too soon, as the ceiling behind me deafeningly buried Yumeno-san's former home. Now all that was left to do was escape - a task that looked easier said than done. The hallway was now an ocean of rubble, steel and splintering wood. The window overlooking the courtyard was far too high to jump out of - I just had to backtrack.

The next few minutes were an indescribable haze. As in, I literally have no idea how I made it through. Smoke completely shrouded my vision, but I was determined to push through. Even if I couldn't save myself, I  _would_ save Yumeno-san! I was almost there, the light of the outside world beckoned. My movement was slowing. I coughed profusely. All I could feel was heat and pain. I couldn't even feel my legs as each footstep grew heavier and more laborious. Suddenly, an exploding gas valve sent me careening into the wall. Blood erupted from open wounds as I held struggled to hold onto Yumeno-san. I used the last of my strength to pull myself away from the debris. Now, I had nothing left in me. No strength, no willpower. I could feel my body shutting down.

Outside, as I collapsed in front of Saihara-kun my entire life flashed before my eyes, just as it had done after my first and only class trial. The difference this time being I knew it was all fake. Performing in front of a packed out stadium of adoring fans? Fake. My parents telling me to open my eyes on my 11th birthday, revealing to me a shining white grand piano in my bedroom? It never happened. The life I knew now - all the accomplishments, all the fame, friends and family - none of it was even remotely real or true.

I didn't want it to end like this. I'd planned to show myself to him under better circumstances. As I reached out to Saihara-kun one last time, I realised something. The Ultimate Pianist was never destined for a happy life. She was created so that she could die. Although it felt so of my own volition, it just wasn't the case. We were brainwashed into being this way. I was never the protagonist of this story. Of my own story. I'd now made peace with that as I said my goodbyes to Saihara-kun and Harukawa-san. I was better off dead.

For the sake of myself and all those around me...I was better off dead. Saihara-kun, everyone...thank you. Thank you for being the only real positive influences in my life. Thank you for believing in me. I will never forget you. Goodbye...maybe things will be better for us...in another life.


	20. Reunion

**ONE YEAR LATER**

**PERSPECTIVE: MAKI HARUKAWA**

The events of a year and a half ago, while still very much fresh in our minds, had certainly become a lot easier to deal with in the months that came and went. Those of us who survived had all managed to move on, in some way or another. We were still young and foolish and more inexperienced than most, but we'd all established promising starts to our careers. We had our own lives to live now, outside of the "fictional" selves that were once forged for us. In many ways, despite losing so much, we had won.

Yumeno-san definitely had it the best out of all of us. Despite all the suffering she'd endured, she was now a world famous magician - her talents were considered unprecedented in the field. But of course, when questioned about it, she still insisted it was real magic. We still weren't sure if it was naivete or a ploy to boost her appeal, but either way it proved to be an exceptional marketing tactic. Things were pretty rough for her even after the killing game. Having barely survived her apartment being blown to pieces a year ago - and after an extended stay in hospital - she was determined to rebuild her life again. It was easy to sense Chabashira-san's vigour in her. Now there was a light that would never go out.

Perhaps most unsurprisingly, Saihara-kun joined the police force. He had his reservations at first (god knows he isn't a people person) but after some goading from myself and Yumeno-san, he took the dive. Lo and behold, he thinks it's the best decision he's ever made. It's been an incredibly positive influence on him - seeing him smile is a regular occurrence now! Yumeno-san and I can't take all the credit here, though. What happened last year with the Renge Yoshida case really stuck with him. It was the first time Saihara-kun was involved in a case that went unsolved. Knowing him, I'd bet he's poking around behind the scenes to see if he can dig anything up; Saihara-kun had a great many flaws, but what I admired about him was his inability to give in. If a certain someone hadn't drilled that into his brain, then...well, it's arguable none of us would be where we are today.

As for myself? Well, it was a surprise even to me, but, I found my calling as a nurse, landing an internship at a small local hospital in the process. Not only was I truly able to help people in this role, but it presented a huge middle finger to Shirogane's legacy and those who would still follow it. I won't lie, I got quite the kick out of that. Instead of killing people, I was helping to give them life. I was content, happy. For a whole year, we were just able to live out our lives as best we could, and that was a really good feeling. But nothing stays normal forever, as I was about to find out on my first shift of this week.

"She's awake." I was barely one foot through the entrance when my mentor, Taniguchi-san, practically rushed me down.

"H-huh? What?" I hadn't had the best night's sleep so I was still a little groggy. As such it took me a second to figure out to whom she was referring to.

"Oh! Wait, you're kidding, right?" the penny dropped a few seconds later. We both rushed to the ward I'd been in charge of. Of course, it was home to a person that had a substantial effect on all our lives: Kaede Akamatsu.

* * *

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Taniguchi-san waved her hand in front of a girl who had not known consciousness for a long time. I'm...not entirely sure that was proper medical procedure but my boss apparently had previous with our unkillable pianist. Akamatsu-san responded correctly, her eyes struggling to remain open. Taniguchi-san smiled and left the room, giving me a nod of approval.

I'll admit, I was a little nervous to see her again. There was a lot of questions I wanted to ask her, but they were better off being asked by Saihara-kun. For now, I just decided to approach her and do my job of making sure she was okay.

"Good morning, Akamatsu-san," I began, smiling.

"H-harukawa-san..."

"You remember me, then? That's good."

"What...day is it?"

"It's Tuesday."

"Why are you here?"

"I work here. I'm a nurse now."

"Is...this a dream?"

"Fortunately not."

"Huh. I thought for sure...I was dead. Did I die? Am I dead?"

"One question at a time. You're not dead, and no, you're not dead. Seems like nothing can kill you, honestly. You've technically cheated death twice now."

"Ah. Hey...I know this place..."

"Yeah? You're in hospital. Apparently you've been here before."

Akamatsu-san nodded slowly. "I'll tell you all about it, I just...I just need to rest."

"That's understandable. You've just woken up from a year long coma, after all."

"A coma? R-really?"

"I'm afraid so. You missed Christmas and your last birthday. You're nineteen now, by the way. So congratulations on that."

"A year, huh? That's...kind of a long time."

"No kidding."

I should've been happy that Akamatsu-san was back with us. Technically, I was. I would obviously prefer her alive than dead. My mind wandered to how Saihara-kun was going to take all this in. A year ago, just before she went unconscious, she revealed herself to us. The whole thing sent Saihara-kun into a state of shock. For him, it was a car crash of emotion. He was overjoyed that she was alive, but on the other hand, he was losing her all over again. At least there was a lot less blood and misery than the first time.

"Akamatsu-san," I continued, "do you remember what happened a year ago?"

"Yeah, kinda. I remember some parts of that. But I don't remember ever getting out. Of the apartment building, that is."

"Well, obviously you made it out in more or less one piece."

"Yumeno-san...is she okay?"

"Never better, thanks to you."

"Heh, I'm glad."

The room fell silent. Our pianist was still getting used to her newfound consciousness. Now would probably be a good time to let Saihara-kun know the good news. As I've said before, I was never Kaede's biggest fan. To this day I think she's kind of an idiot, but I've evolved that opinion somewhat. Now, I think she's more of a principled idiot. I disagree strongly with how she handled things in the killing game. She ruined her own life, not to mention Saihara-kun's. And she was indirectly involved in Amami's death. Or perhaps even straight up  _directly_  depending on your point of view _._  When she was executed, all it did was reaffirm to me that nice guys and girls always finish last. What happened to her, happened to Gokuhara-kun, happened to Kaito.

Having said all that, I had nothing but thanks for her elsewhere. Yumeno-san wouldn't be alive without her. Saihara-kun never would've found his purpose in life, probably. And despite everything, she was still here. The unkillable Akamatsu-san. Heh...had a nice ring to it, I guess.

"Kaede!!"

The door to Akamatsu-san's room burst open behind me, and in sprinted a girl I was only somewhat familiar with. This black haired girl came by at least once a week to visit, but I never found out her relationship to Kaede. I was usually pretty busy during visiting hours so I avoided talking to anyone I didn't need to.

"Oh, hey! Asuka! Long time no see," Akamatsu-san responded positively to this new girl.

"I can't fucking believe you," this Asuka sighed,sounding like she was choking back tears, "I thought you were never gonna wake up!"

I cleared my throat in a somewhat unsubtle manner. Akamatsu-san and this other girl looked over at me, blank faced.

"No shouting in the wards," I uttered in a low, dry tone.

"Sorry," they both muttered back in a hushed tone.

"Listen, I've gotta get back to work," I said, "I've...got a lot of questions, but I'm sure they're nothing Saihara-kun won't ask--"

"W-wait...Shu--Saihara-kun is coming?!" the pianist blurted out.

"He's been coming every day for the past year," I smiled weakly, "only difference this time is...you're awake. For now, I'll leave you two be, okay?"

Just as I was about to leave, though, Akamatsu-san had one more thing to say.

"Hey, Harukawa-san?"

"Yes?"

"When I first walked into Saihara-kun's place...as Komaru...you saw right through me, huh?"

Ha. She got me. It's not like it was a bad disguise, far from it. It was everything else that gave her away. Her accent, body language, even down to the way she was dressed to hide any kind of wounds, scars and that new arm of hers. She was always covered from neck to toe in out of season clothing: hooded jacket, gloves, baggy jeans and boots. I have a hunch as to how Saihara-kun never figured it out, but I'd let him explain himself when he gets here.

"Let's just call it a woman's intuition and leave it at that," I said with a faint smile.

Akamatsu-san nodded and smiled in return. With that out of the way, I closed the door on them behind me and immediately rushed over to the staff room. Running over to the phone, I wasted no time in dialling Saihara-kun's cell number. God, I hope he picks up. Sure enough, moments later...

"Greetings. This is Shuichi Saihara, how may I be of service?"

"Hey. It's me."

"Harukawa-san! Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. Remember when I said I would only call you during working hours if it was  _really_ important?"

After a few moments of silence, Saihara-kun practically launched into sporadic confusion: "w-wait, you mean...she's...?"

"Can you skip work?"

"W-well no, I-I can't but...this is...i-it's different. The chief is gonna kill me but, uhh, I'll be there soon, okay?"

Saihara-kun hurriedly hung up. I'm pretty sure he dropped his phone as he did so. He sounded like he was trying to maintain his composure and stay cool. An admirable attempt, but I could tell I just hit him over the head with a sack full of emotions.

* * *

**PERSPECTIVE: KAEDE AKAMATSU**

"I really can't believe you..." Asuka sighed, for what felt like the fiftieth time.

"I dunno," I shook my head in response, "doing something stupid to save someone seems pretty on brand for me, don't you think?"

"Look, I get that it was either you or Yumeno-san but...come on, Kaede, you've gotta stop doing this! You just lost a year of your life!"

"I still feel like one year is better than all of them."

"You're right, it's just...please don't live your life solely for the sake of everyone else. Can't you do something for yourself? Maybe just once? What if it isn't one year next time? What if it's all of them?"

"Yeah. I know. I'm sorry."

Much as I hated to admit it, she was right. Getting away from the killing game  _after_ being executed wasn't something a whole lot of people could put on their resumes. Yet here I was tempting that fate, of all fates. Asuka, Dr. Idabashi, Saihara-kun...they'd all done so much for me since I escaped. I need to stop being so ready to chance throwing my life away, even if it did save someone's life. Someone who deserved to live a hell of a lot more than I did.

"You're making that face again," Asuka said bluntly.

"Huh? What face?" I contested, self-consciously now trying  _not_ to make any kind of face.

"That face you make when you're just totally lost and unsure of what to do or why you're even still here."

"That's...a lot of criteria for just one face."

"I'm pretty good at reading people," Asuka replied, "and yours says all that and more. Tell me, Kaede, what do you wanna do once you're out of here?"

"Hm..."

I still didn't know the answer to that. One thing I did know was that I had to stop lying to Saihara-kun. The mask was now officially off. If I recall correctly, the last thing I did before losing consciousness was reveal myself to him. There could be no more tricks, no more games. Not that I wanted there to be, but I had to face the music now. With or without Saihara-kun, I had to make something of myself. I'm going to take my life back as Kaede Akamatsu, not as Komaru Naegi or anyone else. I ran a bunch of compositions through my head. Though they'd never actually occurred, I could summon several memories of playing these classic compositions perfectly, and without breaking a sweat, in front of adoring crowds. Of course, there was Clair de Lune, but given the circumstances I could no longer think of that song without it being accompanied by an overwhelming sense of anguish.

"Y'know, I've been thinking of learning how to play the piano," I said finally.

"Oh, wow, that would be--wait,  _learn?"_ Asuka was understandably taken aback. "I thought you were practically a master. What else is there for you to learn?"

"I've been thinking...I've got all this knowledge on famous composers and all the wonderful songs they wrote. Mozart, Bach, Brahms, Chopin, and Debussy, too. But despite that, I've probably never touched a piano in my whole life. Even in my lab at the academy, I didn't really get to mess around with the piano in there. So really, I'm practically a newbie, right?"

"I...can't say I ever thought of that," Asuka struggled to get to grips with my statement, "but I suppose it's true. It's kinda twisted and I hate thinking about it, but you're probably right, huh?"

The pair of us were suddenly interrupted by Harukawa-san, who hurriedly opened the door to my ward. She was holding a set of clothes and staring at me with those piercing red eyes.

"Put these on," she said sharply.

"R-really?" I replied, confused. "I...you know I only just woke up, right, Harukawa-san? I'm still a little groggy."

"C'mon, get outta bed," she snapped, "I'm discharging you. And don't worry, I have permission to do so."

"This is all kinda sudden, don't you think?" Asuka said to Harukawa-san, whose gaze snapped away from me and onto her.

"Uhh, you probably don't wanna be arguing with her, Asuka," I giggled nervously.

"Right. Akamatsu-san, I would highly recommend getting yourself ready. Saihara-kun's on his way."

"Ah! R-right! Gimme those clothes already!!"

So, the fated day had come. No more running, no more secrets. It was time to finally be reunited with Shuichi. I still don't think I was quite ready for it. In all honesty, I was nervous. Harukawa-san said he'd been visiting almost every day for the last year, but I still didn't know what he felt about me. I didn't know if he'd be bitter about all the lies I told him. The times I've dragged him along, only to make situations worse. For that, I definitely wanted to apologise to him. Even if we ended our conversation by going separate ways forever, I would hope that he'd at least forgive me for everything I put him through.

And as I stood waiting outside the hospital's front entrance, the nerves grew ever more palpable. The top Harukawa-san gave me to wear was sleeveless, so there was no hiding my prosthetic arm, either. In short, I would be telling Shuichi everything, without anymore lies or secrets. I...wasn't sure I was ready, but I would give it my all.

"You look a little nervous, Kaede," Asuka held patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"It's that noticeable, huh?" I asked nervously. "I hope he still likes me..."

"Heh, it's like that, is it?"

"Wh-what?! N-no, not like that at all!" Asuka got me red as a beet from that comment, but I wouldn't let her faze me. "It's just...y'know..."

"Listen, the guy's been visiting you non-stop the past year, just as I have," she continued, "I actually ran into him a few times. He's nice. I think he really likes you, too."

"Ahh, Asuka..."

"All I'm saying is if he didn't like you, do you really think he'd be so adamant on visiting? Guy's been dying for you to wake up. He's...actually kinda different now than what he was back then. I might go as far as to say he's turned into the Saihara-kun you wanted him to be."

That was...reassuring. And if true, then maybe he did take my promise to heart after all. Then, as I said my goodbyes to Asuka, I turned around to see a familiar face making his way up the stairs to the front of the hospital. As we made eye contact, the world around us seemed to lose all focus. Time had effectively stopped. Saihara-kun had stopped in his tracks, and I daren't move a muscle myself. We just stood in silence, about twenty or so metres away from one another. He...kinda looked like he was in shock. His jaw hung open, and I think I could make out a tear trickling down his cheek.

I decided I would be the one to make the first step. In doing so, Shuichi took a step forward, too. Seconds later, we both broke into a run, until we finally embraced each other in a long, warm hug. We didn't say anything for the longest time. Instead, we cried. It was a moment of raw emotion. So many mixed, pent up feelings brought themselves out into the open, and the only way we could express that was by crying like babies!

We just let the moment happen, regardless of time or strange looks from onlookers. This was our moment, not anyone else's. I would have a lot of explaining to do to him once we'd both calmed down, but for now we enjoyed the feeling of finally being back together.

What I didn't know at this time is that mine and Saihara-kun's journey was far,  _far_ from over. Both our lives would continue to change, often in drastic ways, both good and bad. But now that we well and truly had each other, without any lies, illusions or apartment fires coming between us.

Despite everything that's happened up to this point, our lives were about to get a whole lot more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally back together...I love these two so much. Sorry again for the long wait on this chapter, everyone. It's been a very busy month for me. Hopefully future updates will be a bit more regular. Restoring Harmony isn't quite over yet, so I hope you'll stay with me until the end and beyond!
> 
> Oh, as a quick side note. I started posting on the r/saimatsu subreddit under the username "pianoidiot" so if that user posts anything in relation to this fic, don't worry, it's definitely me!
> 
> Also, Kaede's birthday is coming up very soon at the time of writing. I don't really know if I'll have anything prepared for it, but I wish my favourite pianist all the best on her birthday! :D


	21. Truancy

**PERSPECTIVE: KAEDE AKAMATSU**

I think it had been, uhhh, let's see...a solid ten minutes or so of Saihara-kun and I just hugging and crying in each other's arms. I was still a little nervous to get a proper look at him. It hadn't technically been all that long since I last saw him, but circumstances (for better or worse) were a little different back then. When I finally had the guts to pull away and look at him in the eyes, the first thing I caught was my reflection in his tear stricken eyes. God, I looked awful! I wiped away my own tears and tried to sound like I wasn't a total vortex of emotion.

"It's nice to see you again," I tried, for complete lack of knowing what else to say.

"I--uhh..."

Saihara-kun was a stammering mess. I felt pretty bad. I don't think he was at all prepared to see me alive again - comatose or not. Sensing he wasn't quite ready to speak, I locked him in a strong, reassuring hug once again. Whether we were here for another ten minutes, or ten more hours, it didn't matter much to me. I just wanted to make sure he was okay.

"I really can't believe you're alive," he cried with his head firmly over my shoulder.

"Heh, really? After you've been visiting me every day for the last year?"

"I don't mean that..."

I figured this would come up eventually. Talking about it would ultimately be unavoidable. That's partly why I hid behind a disguise for him. Well, maybe less for him and more for myself. I simply hadn't been ready to talk it out with him, nor was I sure he wanted anything to do with me after what had happened, almost two years ago now. But that was also two years of running away, delaying the inevitable. Thinking about it for just a moment, it did feel strange to me. Why had I acted like that? I wasn't the kind of person to run away from responsibility, yet there I was, completely unable to show myself. I definitely felt ashamed about that. But now wasn't the time to mope or feel sorry about myself. I had to confront this head-on, right now.

"Saihara-kun..." I pulled back again, looking him in the eyes. "I...shall we..."

I paused for a moment. My gaze started to lose focus. My sense of balance grew shaky. But before I could collapse, Saihara-kun grabbed me and shook me back to my senses.

"H-hey! Are you alright?!" he said with concern heavy in his voice.

"A-ah...I'm just a little woozy," I admitted, "Harukawa-san practically ejected me from the hospital."

"You need to rest! Let's go back inside and--"

"No. No, it's alright...Shuichi...I've seen enough of hospitals to last a lifetime."

"Are...you sure?" he looked away awkwardly, blushing slightly. I might have caught him off guard addressing him as anything other than Saihara-kun.

"Yeah. I just..." I started blushing a tad, too. Hopefully not enough for him to notice, but who was I kidding? The guy was a detective. Regardless, I shook my head vigorously and got back on topic. "Can we go somewhere quiet? I'll explain everything to you, I promise."

"Y-you don't owe me an explanation..."

"Maybe, maybe not. You must be at least a little curious, though. Right? And I wanna just get it all off my chest, once and for all. Will you help me finally put it all to rest?"

Saihara-kun looked away, staring into the distance. His eyes were still a little puffy from all the crying. A few moments later, he turned back to me and said just one thing.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

* * *

Minutes later, we found ourselves in a beautiful little park near the hospital. The fresh air took some getting used to again, but it felt so nice to be anywhere that wasn't oppressively confined.

"I was thinking about taking you for a drive," Saihara-kun said, "but you're probably not in the best of shape right now."

"Yeah, thanks," I smiled, "I get motion sickness pretty easily, and I don't think just rising from a coma would help! Oh, hey wait a sec, since when could you drive?"

"A-ah! Yeah, I got my license just a few months ago. I've always loved the thought of driving. It's kinda liberating, y'know? Plus it helped take my mind off, well, everything."

I nodded quietly. This was still a little awkward to me. Being back with Saihara-kun in this way...it's not something I ever imagined happening.

"Saihara-kun..." I stopped walking, and he did a second later, looking back at me.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, concern draping over his voice.

"I just wanted to say...I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I lied to you during the killing game, I'm sorry I used you, and I'm sorry I threw myself away."

"K-Kaede..."

"At the time I thought it was genuinely the right thing to do. I know it was stupid, hell I knew it was stupid back then. But I wanted to do...something, you know? Anything, if it meant saving you guys. But...all I managed to do was make things worse, so...yeah, I'm really sorry, Shuichi."

He was silent for a few moments, smiling wryly with his head turned down ever so slightly.

"I'll be honest," he finally spoke, holding his hands behind his back, "after that trial...I didn't feel good at all. If it wasn't for Kaito, I would've completely lost the will to live."

"Shuichi..."

"Getting over what they did to you wasn't easy. I tried to put it all in the back of my mind and just...carry on with everyone else. But the image of you dying was always there, always gnawing away at me. It was easier some days than others, but the one thing that remained constant was that I'd spend every night just crying. Crying and crying until I passed out. Some nights that was the only way I could get any sleep. Heh, it's a miracle I kept it all together myself, honestly. Well, I didn't exactly do it myself, but, you know what I mean."

I was speechless, to say the least. Saihara-kun had done a pretty good job putting on a brave face throughout the killing game. I had no idea the extent his own thoughts had been torturing him. I was roused from my thoughts when he walked back to me and suddenly held my hands.

"Kaede," he said, "you have no idea how much it means to me that you're alive."

"Ha, believe me, it means a lot to me, too."

"I'm...not gonna pry into how exactly you survived... _that,_ " Saihara-kun continued, "frankly, I don't think it's all that important. But I'm guessing this arm has something to do with it?"

Saihara-kun looked down at my prosthetic arm. The replacement provided by Dr. Idabashi had helped me out a ton.

"Oh, yeah! If you take a closer look, it might look familiar to you! Do you notice any similarities?"

Shuichi studied the arm, raising a finger to his chin. "Hm...can't say it's ringing any bells. Sorry, Akamatsu-san."

"Huh...Idabashi-san really outdid himself, I guess."

"W-wait, Idabashi? Dr. Idabashi?"

"The penny's dropped now, right?"

"Is it one of...Kiibo's?!"

I nodded enthusiastically. "Yup!"

"B-but...how is that possible?! I can't imagine there was anything left of the poor guy..."

"Okay, well, I guess this is where I start explaining myself."

I took a deep breath and told Shuichi everything. From the moment I woke up and how Asuka and I escaped, to my recovery process and acquirement of Kiibo's arm. Shuichi's gaze never left me as I explained. Did I...have a thing for cadence or something? He was hanging onto my every word. It made me happy that he was still so interested. I wouldn't have blamed him in the slightest if he wanted to forget all about me, yet here he was, eager to learn what had happened in my absence.

"And...you know the rest," I finished, "the moment we actually were reunited...was when I pretended to be that girl, Komaru Naegi. Again, I'm sorry about that."

"I-it's...wow...it's fine. Really, it's okay," Shuichi wore a warm smile, "it's a little unusual, I'll admit, but I do understand your reluctance. Nevertheless, I'm happy you're here...Kaede."

"Ahhh, me too," I rubbed the back of my neck. It was nice being back with him. He seemed happier. That's really all I ever wanted from him. Happiness.

"H-hey, if you think you're ready..." Shuichi asked sheepishly, "d-do you...want to talk about... _how_ exactly you survived?"

"O-oh...I--"

"It's okay! You really don't have to if you're not up to it. But...now that you've gone over everything, I must admit I am curious."

"I don't know."

"Huh?"

"I gotta admit. I really don't know how I survived that," I said in a solemn voice, "as I was escaping, I found a computer with an email opened on it. It said there...may have been some errors in the construction of that big piano."

"Errors," Shuichi rubbed his chin in deep thought, "really?"

"Yeah. Apparently it was a big enough error for me to slip through the cracks and get out alive...not without permanent mental and physical scarring, though, obviously..."

"Kaede..."

"Ha, sorry...am I bringing the mood down again?"

Now it was Saihara-kun's turn to hug  _me._ He walked right back up to me and embraced me in a warm hug. I accepted it wholeheartedly.

"Thank you, Saihara-kun," I said, "I won't lie. It's been rough. I may be alive but, I still don't know what's gonna happen from here on out."

"Well, at least we don't have the killing game to worry about anymore," he smiled, pulling out of the hug.

"Yeah! That's true...at least, I hope so."

"You hope so?"

My mind cast back to that creep, Keisuke Sasaki. He was still out there, along with the rest of the Team Danganronpa staff. That is assuming they weren't buried under the destroyed academy. No, there had to have been a way out for them.

"Let's not forget about what happened with Yumeno-san," I warned Saihara-kun pointedly.

"Ah, yeah, but that was caused by a gas leak," he replied, "that was the official findings at least."

"Hmm, I don't think you really believe that, though. I don't remember smelling gas in the building at all."

"I mean, sure it's tempting to investigate, but my hands are pretty tied. I'm with the police now, and their assignments are my assignments. I hate to break it to you, but I can't just leave my duties like that."

As Saihara-kun finished his sentence, his phone started buzzing loudly in his pocket.

"S-sorry, do you mind if I take this?" he asked sheepishly.

"Go ahead," I smiled.

He answered the phone, creating some distance between us. I guess it was confidential. I looked up at the sky - the sun was beginning to set. It dawned on me that I didn't really have anywhere to go. I was a completely loose thread at this point. I mean, what does one do after they were supposed to die, but didn't? It doesn't make everything magically okay for sure. I'm lucky to have my life, but not so much the physical and mental struggles that I'll now take to the grave. I looked back at Saihara-kun and smiled. At least I had him. Yumeno-san, Harukawa-san, and Asuka too. They'd all been tremendously supportive of me. They will be my reason to go on, whether I have a direction in my life...or not. Whatever happens from here on out, at least I'll have them.

"Hey, sorry about that!" Saihara-kun said after his conversation.

"Ah, no worries! Did you get a call from work?"

"Yeah, they were wondering where I am. I'm still basically a trainee. Not many eighteen year olds are fully fledged officers, y'know?"

"Ha! I forgot..." I laughed to myself.

"Wh-what's so funny?" Saihara-kun blushed, taken aback a little by my laughter.

"Hehe, it's stupid, really. I just remembered I'm your senior!"

"A-ah, haha, you're right," Saihara-kun grinned, "I guess that makes me the sidekick, huh?"

"Heh...sidekick or not...I think I'd like to spend more time with you, Shuichi."

"I...really want that, too," he replied, looking off to the side, "I missed you so much, Kaede."

"I missed you, too. I'm so sorry for all the lies and the deceit...will you give me a chance to make it right?"

"You have nothing to apologise for, Kaede," he looked into my eyes warmly, "ultimately, I'm just glad you're still here. Standing right here in front of me. I never would've imagined that in my wildest dreams. So...uh...thank you for being alive."

"Shuichi..." tears began welling up in my eyes. I still found it hard to believe I meant this much to anyone. It was a good feeling.

"H-hey, listen, I gotta get back to work, but uhh..."

"What is it?"

"You...do you have a place to stay?"

"U-um...well..."

"It's okay if you do! I just figured...you'd probably need a place, right? What with Yumeno-san being away and all." Shuichi reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key. Blushing and shaking slightly, he outstretched his arm with the key in his palm. "Take my spare key. I...only have a one bed apartment but...you're free to stay for as long as you need."

"Sh-Shuichi..." god, my face was bright red. I was worried he'd have grown distant in my absence, which I totally wouldn't have blamed him for after everything he'd been through. But here he was offering nothing but kindness and support.

"It's not the most glamourous place in the world, actually it's kinda cramped..." he rubbed the back of his neck and looked down in shame, "b-but you're welcome to call it home, if you need it."

"Thank you...this...Shuichi, this means so much to me..."

Shuichi gave me the address to his apartment, and hired a cab to take me there, giving me just the right amount of cash to get there. This was...going a lot better than I'd ever imagined. If it wasn't for him, I might be sat rotting in a back alley somewhere. Although Asuka would probably never allow that to happen. Then again, it sounded like she had a pretty full house and I didn't wanna be a burden to her. I think staying with Shuichi could do us both a lot of good. As I thought about him as I sat in the back of the taxi, my face suddenly turned beet red.

"Ugh..." I muttered to myself, "you kinda like him, don't you Akamatsu?"

"Did you say something miss?" the cab driver turned his head to ask.

"Oh, no! It's nothing. Sorry!"

* * *

**ELSEWHERE, AT AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION**

"Great news, our baby girl just woke up!"

"Ah, finally! It's been way too long. I've really missed her, you know?"

"Yeah, I bet. I'm not so sure she'd wanna see you, though. Just a guess on my part."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd warm up to me in due time. I think we could be the best of friends...under the right circumstances, of course."

"Heh, whatever you say, boss. You know I got your back 100%."

"Thank you. You've been instrumental in setting everything up for me. Getting Kiibo's arm to Dr. Idabashi was a welcome stroke of luck."

"That's me. Always willing to go above and beyond."

"I'm surprised the tracker has lasted as long as it has, but I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth!"

"So...I'm guessing it's time?"

"Almost. I'm pretty much ready. But she isn't just yet."

"Oh? How do you figure?"

"I don't think she's quite at peak hope...for lack of a better term."

"God damn...you're one sick fuck. Not that you need me to tell you."

"Mm...I've been called worse, but you're not wrong. You're absolutely not wrong."

"So...you're gonna let her fuck detective boy for a while?"

"That's the plan. We've been soft on her up to this point. But soon she'll know the true meaning of despair."

"Damn...letting her be the happiest she can possibly be, then pulling the rug right out from under her feet. I could almost cry!"

"Oh, it's going to be a riot. Just like a phoenix rising from the ashes...Danganronpa will return."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my lateness once again on this chapter. I was hit by a serious case of writer's block. I spent some time away to start planning my next fic that I plan on starting after Restoring Harmony wraps up. But until then, we've still got a ways to go. I hope you'll stick around to see what becomes of Kaede and Shuichi!


End file.
